How Can We Go Back?
by UzumakiGal3113
Summary: How did it end up like this? We were so on fire for each other and now we're complete strangers. We lost everything, including each other. I want to go back, I want to feel that way again. Naruhina. Modern AU. Rated M for lemons, language, and dark themes. Read the description inside!
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO! Welcome to my new story. I'm really happy to be doing this one, much different than my other story** _ **.**_ **This story is a modern AU, Naruhina and Sasusaku of course, so if that's not what you want to read about, buh-bye.**

 **ANYWAY, I'll go ahead and warn you guys now, and one more time officially before the story starts. Because I just KNOW that people are gonna complain about some of the stuff in this story even though there will be constant warnings. This story has some dark elements, including death, mentions of suicide, and depression. There will also be a few lemons in this story. I'm warning you all right now.**

 **I** **F ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES ARE A TRIGGER FOR YOU, PLEASE EXIT THIS STORY** _ **NOW**_ **: Mentions of death, mentions of suicide, kidnapping, depression, and anxiety. There** _ **WILL**_ **be elements of these in the story.**

 **On a happier note, please keep in mind that no story I ever write will ever not have a happy ending. Just gotta roll with the punches to get there :)**

 **Alright, that being said, here's my new story! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

I gaze around the new clean space, soaking in my new surroundings. My brand new apartment, a nicer place than I ever thought I would be able to afford, but working two jobs throughout college plus a paid internship have made it possible. A big open living room with a flat screen, a couch that I actually got from a store and not on Craigslist, and a nice bookshelf to keep my giant collection of textbooks. The kitchen was nice too, although I can't imagine I'll be using the appliances much, I'm not much of a cook. Unless you count boiling water for instant ramen as cooking.

I take the the time to appreciate the pictures on the wall in the hallway as I make my way to my new bedroom. Hanging on the wall I see my parents, my dad with the same blonde hair and blue eyes as me, and my mother with bright red hair and indigo eyes, although my face is definitely hers. I don't remember much about my parents. They passed away when I was only two years old in a car accident. I only have one memory of them, and that was a fuzzy one. It was of my mom rocking me to sleep, while my dad hummed a song. I don't even know if it's a real memory to be honest, but it's all I have. Next to that picture is one of me and my godfather, Jiraiya. A man with long spiky white hair and a lecherous grin. He adopted me at the age of ten, raising me into the man I am today. He was an old pervert, but he was truly a father to me. In the picture he has his arm around me, both of us wearing wide smiles. He too, has passed on. He was struck by a drunk driver and killed instantly. My family has bad luck with driving, I suppose. I miss him a lot, but I know that he's always watching me, as are Mom and Dad. I smile at the pictures of them.

I reach for the handle on my new bedroom door, and turn the knob slowly. I'm slightly nervous to take in this new scenery, but I'm not sure why. I hear the click, signaling the door is open and I push it through. The carpets are a cream color, it feels nice on my toes. The walls are plain white, and my creative side imagines painting them a funky color, like bright orange. Yeah, that would be the perfect color, it is my favorite after all. I was able to finally afford to get a queen size bed, I know it's a bit big for one person, but I love to sprawl out when I sleep. It's got a decent size closet, and my own bathroom. I'm especially grateful for that. Sharing one bathroom all throughout college was a real pain in the ass. There's a large dresser and a nightstand, along with a desk at the window. I have my laptop there, along with various notebooks and textbooks. I'm still preparing for starting law school coming up, a new chapter in my life.

There aren't any pictures hanging up in my room. A poster that I've had since I was fourteen is the only thing adorning the walls. I chuckle to myself as my eyes land on it. It's a white poster with a steamy cup of instant ramen on it. In all caps it says "NO RAMEN NO LIFE". It's oddly enough one of my most treasured possessions. I do love ramen, but that's not the only reason the poster is special to me. It reminds me of a happier time in my life. No, not happier, but happiest. The happiest time in my life. Unfortunately, those days are over.

I shake my head to get the thoughts out. I won't go there right now. Silently, I walk over to the bed and sit down on the left side. I reach down to the drawer on the nightstand, and hesitantly pull it open. I don't know why I'm doing it, when I know what's inside. But it's like I can't help myself. The first thing I pull out is an old photo. It's a bit worn, and obviously old considering how I look in it. The photo is of me and my two best friends in junior high. I'm in the middle, my arms around each of them, smiling brightly. I haven't smiled like that in years, something I only recently realized. On the right is a boy with raven hair and pale skin with onyx eyes. He has his arms crossed and an expression that says that he's annoyed with me, but I know better. On the left is a girl with short indigo hair and pale lavender eyes. And, of course, the usual pink staining on her cheeks. We were only thirteen at the time. Life was so simple. We were all happy.

I can't bring myself to look at the other items in the drawer. I toss the photo back in and bite my lip to force back the tears that have welled up in my eyes. Dammit, why am I still letting this affect me so much? Mercifully, I am brought out of my thoughts by knocking at the door. I quickly wipe my eyes and stand up from the bed.

"What?" I ask.

The door creaks open, and in walks the guy with raven hair from the photo. Only now, he's much taller and much more mature looking. His hair is a bit longer, and part of it droops over his left eye. He's wearing a dark blue sweater with black jeans. Dark colors, as usual. He smirks.

"Are you going to stay in here brooding all day, or are you going to come with me to meet Sakura for coffee?" He questions me.

That's right, we had made plans to get coffee once we were all moved in. Well, anything is better than sulking in my bedroom, "Alright, alright, let's go Sasuke."

I follow him to the front door, before grabbing my bright orange jacket and throwing it on. Orange jacket, black t-shirt, jeans and a pair of sneakers. My usual outfit. I pretty much wear the same thing every day. I get an earful from Sakura over it all the time, but it does her no good. I'm a simple guy with simple tastes. I like to be comfy and I like the color orange. My wardrobe reflects that.

We make our way down the busy city streets towards the coffee shop we've been to a couple of times now since we got off the plane the other day. It's within walking distance for Sasuke and myself, and not too far for Sakura either, so we decided we would continue to meet up here to hang out. It's called the Sunshine Cafe, and boy do they have some awesome coffee. They have great cinnamon rolls too. I never used to be much of a fan of sweets, but I've had a weakness for cinnamon rolls for a few years now.

As we come up on the cafe, my pink-haired friend comes into view. She's enthusiastically waving us down as she always does. Or maybe she's just waving at Sasuke, I can never really tell. She's dressed in mostly pink as usual. A dark pink jacket with fur along the hood, light pink pants, pink gloves, and black boots. I assume she's wearing a pink top under her jacket too. She smiles warmly at us.

"Hey guys! All settled in now?" She questions us.

"Yep! I got the last of my stuff put away today." I reply.

"Hmph, he could have had everything done sooner, but once he had the XBOX hooked up he got a bit… distracted." Sasuke chimes in.

I glare at him, "Shut up! It's not my fault that gaming is so addicting, ya know! Besides, once you get started on a task it's impossible for you to stop until it's done. No way I can keep up with that." It's true. Sasuke has always been that way with any kind of job or assignment, as opposed to me, who likes to take a lot of breaks and put things off. I like to consider myself an expert procrastinator.

Sakura giggles at our antics. This is our dynamic, Sasuke and I pick on each other back and forth, and Sakura laughs at us and chimes in every now and then. Of course she will usually take Sasuke's side in our little fake arguments. Understandable, they are dating after all.

We make our way inside the cafe to get out of the cold air. Sasuke and Sakura both order some ginger tea, while I, as always, order a black coffee and a cinnamon roll. I don't really consider ordering anything else. We find ourselves sitting in the same corner booth as the other times we've been here.

"So, did you manage to find a roommate?" Sasuke asks her. Sakura moved here to the city when we did. She says it's because this is where she wanted to go to medical school, but I'm pretty sure that Sasuke is mainly the cause. They've been together for two years now, so it would make sense that she would follow him out here. She's just a little too prideful to admit it. Whatever the reason, I'm glad. I can't have Sasuke sulking all the time, that's my job.

She perks up immediately at his question, "Yes! I was just about to tell you! A girl our age answered the ad this morning! I met up with her and we really hit it off, and she agreed to move in! She's actually moving in her stuff right now. I asked her if she needed my help but she insisted that I go and hang out with my friends. She really is a sweet girl. Anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted to come over tonight and meet her! Who knows, we may have a new member of the group on our hands!" She exclaimed.

I suspect that the main reason she's excited about this new girl is because she's wanting to set me up with her. Like I'd ever agree to that. Both of them have been trying to set me up with girls for a few years now, especially Sakura. It's nothing but a waste of time, to be honest. None of these girls will ever hold any interest for me.

"So, this new girl, what's her name?" Sasuke asks her.

"Uhhhhh…. I forgot…"

"Sakura! You just said you hit it off with this girl and yet you don't know her name?" I tease her.

She flicks me on the head playfully, "Shut up Naruto! You know I'm bad with names! Ugh it took me like two weeks to remember yours!"

I laugh at the memory, "Yeah of course I know that! I'll never forgot the next day after we met, you called me Natsu."

Her cheeks puff up and her face turns red. She's so easy to fluster, "Shut the hell up!"

Sasuke simply sits there smirking, as always. He's pretty good at hiding it, but I know he loves it when she gets riled up. Those two are polar opposites when it comes to showing emotion, but somehow they just go well together.

"Anyway," She starts, trying to change the subject back, "I would really love it you guys came over tonight. Sasuke-kun doesn't start his new job for a few days, and Naruto and I won't start school until next week. We have some time to have fun!"

"Well, I'm on board. What about you _Sasuke-kun_?" I ask him in a mocking tone.

He rolls his eyes at me. I can't help but tease them about their relationship. It's too easy, "Hmph, sure. We'll be there. What time Sakura?"

She jumps up from her seat, "Oh, yay! Tonight at 7:30! That'll give us some time to get all of her stuff in the new place. I'm going back after this to help her. She says she won't need it, but I'm gonna do it anyway."

I finish off my cinnamon roll and say bye to Sakura, as does Sasuke, although his goodbye always seems to take a bit longer. We walk back to the apartment, trying to ignore the chilling winds blowing around.

* * *

I decide to pass the time catching up on my reading. I'm starting law school next week, and I want to be as prepared as possible. Sure, I'd rather spend my free time playing on my XBOX, but getting off to a good start in law school is too important to me. My goal is to become a great lawyer, so I can represent cases like mine when I was a child. My parents died when I was two, so until I was ten I was passed around from foster home to foster home. In most of them I was either abused, neglected, or both. So many of these people are just in it for the perks when they become foster parents, but I'm going to change all that. I'm going to bring these people to the light, and defend the kids that don't have a voice.

I was lucky in a way. Most kids don't get out of the system until they turn eighteen, or get emancipated at sixteen. I was adopted by Jiraiya when I was ten, and he treated me like I was his own child. Technically, I was his godson. I remember being mad at first when I found out. I thought he didn't care enough about to me to come get me right away. However, I later learned that Jiraiya had been homeless and poor when I first lost my parents. He had been kind of like a nomad, sleeping on a different couch every night. They wouldn't let him take me. So, he turned his life around. He got a job, saved up enough money, bought a home in a good neighborhood and cleaned up any bad habits he had. He did it all so he could take me home. It made me really happy. Finally, I felt like I truly belonged.

Most kids in the system don't get so lucky, and that's why I'll be there to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure they get some justice.

I read my textbook until about 6:30 before I finally decide to get ready for dinner at Sakura's.

I make my way into the bathroom and hang a towel on the rack. I hop into the shower and quickly wash my body and hair. I'm grateful that I cut it shorter recently, it's a lot easier to tame. I get out of the shower and grab the towel off of the rack, drying myself off.

I walk into my bedroom and open the closet, and I grab a pair of blue jeans and my same orange jacket. I walk over to my dresser and pull out a pair of blue boxers and a black t-shirt. Different day, same outfit. I'm sure Sakura is going to throw a fit, but it is what it is. I have no one to impress, and I want to be comfortable. I take one last look in the mirror, satisfied with my plain appearance. I walk into the living room and see Sasuke sitting there, waiting on me. He looks quite a bit more dressed up than I do, wearing a black button up shirt, with a grey vest on top and a pair of black jeans. He quirks an eyebrow at me upon taking in my appearance.

"You're gonna get it from Sakura, you know that right?" He asks me.

"Yeah, yeah, what else is new? She's been on me for dressing like this since we first met. I'm not changing my mind."

He just shrugs his shoulders, "Fine, fine. Let's go."

He gets up and we exit the apartment, locking the door behind us. It's only about a 10 minute walk to Sakura's so we don't bother calling a cab. On the way there, Sasuke can't help but spoil my good mood. He has a knack for doing that it seems.

"So this roommate, I wonder what she's like." He says.

I shrug my shoulders, "I dunno, Sakura seems to like her."

He averts his eyes from mine, "Maybe… maybe Sakura won't be the only one to like her."

I groan in annoyance. Here we go.

"Sasuke, where are you going with this?"

He sighs, "Look, you've got to give someone a chance, get back out there. It's been four years-"

"So what?!" I cut him off, "Four years or four hundred years, it makes no difference to me! Why should I get back out there huh? Any relationship I could have would just be a disappointment in comparison to what I had." I'm really trying not to get emotional. Damn that Sasuke, why is he doing this?

He looks at me with concern, which I hate. I don't want anyone's pity, "Naruto, I'm worried okay? I don't want you to end up alone, and eventually Sakura and I will get married and have kids. What about you, huh?"

"What about me? I already told you a long time ago not to set me up with anyone. And I meant don't do it EVER. I don't have any love left to give someone. Just thinking about going out with a girl makes me angry. I don't want it, Sasuke, I just don't. Please… just drop it." I'm practically begging him to shut up about it. I really don't want to show up at Sakura's with red puffy eyes.

He frowns, "Fine. I don't want you to get all emotional so I'll leave it alone. For now."

Yes, I know it's only for now. He always brings it back up, Sakura too. Why can't they understand? I don't want to go out looking for something I already had. Something I already lost. I just can't.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, and I'm trying my best to think about something else. Eventually I begin to think about Sakura's cooking. Then I chuckle to myself, hoping maybe her new roommate is a better cook than her. I eat Sakura's food just so she won't fuss about it, but it's not good at all. I feel bad for Sasuke.

We march up the flight of stairs up to the third floor, my burning calf muscles protesting along the way. When did I get so out of shape? As we near the door, I can hear the faint sound of pots and pans clanging around and Sakura's ipod playing _Halo._ Ha, typical Sakura.

Sasuke knocks his knuckles against the door, and we hear the sound of footsteps approaching rapidly. Sakura's never very good at hiding her excitement where Sasuke is involved. The handle on the door jiggles and then the door opens, leaving us face to face with a smiling Sakura. She's wearing the same outfit from earlier today, without the jacket of course, only now her hair is tied back and she's wearing an apron.

"Hey guys! Glad you're here!" She says as she reaches up and hugs me, then turns to kiss Sasuke on the cheek. She then turns her stare back to me and crosses her arms. Here we go.

"Naruto! Do you have to always wear the same thing all the time?!"

I groan, "Hey, what can I say? I like orange and I like being comfy. This outfit meets both of my strict requirements. If it ain't broke don't fix it right?" I joke.

She rolls her eyes, "Whatever. Sasuke-kun gets it, he's all dressed up and looking sooo handsome!" She winks and he actually blushes. A rare phenomenon that I can't help but laugh at.

"Alright, alright. Come on in guys, meet the new roomie. She's helping me cook in the kitchen!" She says as she stands aside and waves us in.

We enter the apartment and right away it practically screams Sakura Haruno. Pink everywhere, the scent of cherry blossoms from candles, and medical textbooks lying around. But, there's a few other things I notice too. A textbook on child psychology on the coffee table and a purple fuzzy pillow on the couch. Those must belong to the roommate. Out of the corner of my eye, something else catches my interest. Hanging on the wall is what looks like a painting. I halt my walk towards the kitchen to take a closer look. I inspect the details inside the wooden frame.

Inside is definitely a painting of bright yellow sunflowers, but in the background of the flowers are two hands holding each other tightly. The way it looks, what it's saying, it stirs a strong emotion within me. It's beautiful, the most amazing painting I've seen since…

Wow. Did… did her roommate paint that? It's absolutely incredible. Maybe this girl could be part of our group after all.

I still refuse to be set up with her though.

"Hey! Come on!" I'm brought out of my trance by Sakura, who is motioning me to follow her.

Sakura guides us into the kitchen, where I can smell the distinct scent of stir fry, which immediately perks me up because that's the one thing Sakura is actually decent at making.

I hear a woman's voice singing in the kitchen, and I can only assume it's her roommate. Something about her voice is soothing to me, almost familiar. I can't put my finger on why, but it just makes me feel… at ease. Weird. The three of us step into the kitchen, and I see Sakura's new roommate chopping up some vegetables. It takes me a second to place her, but when I do…

Fuck.

That's why I liked her voice. That's why I liked the painting.

She notices our arrival and peers up at us through her bangs. Her pale lavender eyes meet mine, and time stops. Both of us are frozen in our spots, not breathing. No way. No fucking way. This isn't happening.

I chance a glance over at Sasuke, and see that his expression is about the same as mine. Shock. Except with me there's a little more than shock. There's sadness too. Undeniably so.

Sakura doesn't seem to notice the tense atmosphere as she smiles at us, "Guys, this is my new roommate, Hinata Hyuga."

I can't speak. I want to reply, but the words die on my tongue. So, I'm not hallucinating. It's really her.

"Er-uh… y-yeah… we've met before…" Sasuke manages to get out.

"Huh? Really? What are the odds?" Sakura asks, still unaware of what's going on.

My eyes continue to bore into Hinata. I'm sure she doesn't like it, but I can't stop. Then again, she's doing the same thing to me. I can see the different conflicting emotions in her eyes. Oh man, her eyes. I've always been able to read them so well. I guess time doesn't change that.

She shakes her head, as if to break some kind of spell, "U-uh, S-Sakura, I'm sorry!" She shouts and shoots past me before I can react. She runs down the hall to what I assume is her bedroom and I can hear the sound of a door slamming echo in my mind.

I'm still glued to the spot. I can't believe it. She's here. Hina… my heart begins to beat way too fast in my chest, and suddenly I notice how labored my breathing is. It's getting more difficult to draw a breath every second. My throat is closing up, what's happening? I have to get out of here.

"Naruto? Are you okay? What's going on?" Sakura asks me with a concerned expression.

I don't answer her. My response is to sprint out of the kitchen and out the front door. I have to get the hell out of here. I can't do this right now, I'm not ready. How is she here? Why is she here? I don't understand. I can vaguely here Sasuke yelling after me, telling me to stop but I don't listen. I can't talk to him about it right now. I won't let anyone see me break down. Not again.

I run the entire way home, functioning purely on adrenaline. My heart is slamming in my chest so hard I'm sure it will explode any second. I run up the stairs to our door, unlock it quickly, and get inside as fast as I can. I know Sasuke is still chasing after me. I stomp back to my bedroom and slam the door shut, locking it.

I sit on the bed, just looking down at my feet. Dammit, I'm not sure what to do. Hinata… she's back… back in my life again. But she was clearly not happy to see me. It was like my already damaged heart shattered into pieces seeing her reaction to me. Why? Why Hinata?

 _Knock knock knock_

" _Naruto! Open up!"_

No way in hell am I opening that door. Nope.

 _Knock knock knock_

" _I know you're in there! Talk to me!"_

I don't reply. I'm not talking to anyone right now. How will that help? I get to vocalize how fucking horrible I feel? No thanks.

I continue to ignore my friend as I open up the drawer from the nightstand earlier. But this time, I don't reach for the old photo. I reach for something very specific. Something that I can hardly bear to look at most of the time, yet I can't bring myself to sell or get rid of. I just can't.

I rummage around until my hand feels a small box. I pull it out, and sure enough, I can see the little black box in the moonlight. I trace my fingers along the edge, as if I need to memorize its details. Then, taking in a shaky breath, I open it.

Inside, sparkling under the light of the full moon, is a diamond ring. The band is silver, one large lavender stone in the middle, and two smaller blue ones on the sides. I saved up for months to buy this a long time ago. I was ecstatic when I could finally afford it. I see my reflection in the middle diamond, and wow do I look like shit. I turn the band so I can see the engraving on the inside.

 _My Hina, I love you._

I can't take it anymore. The sorrow in my heart breaks free, and I clutch my chest as the anguished cries explode from within me. Violent sobs wrack my entire body, I can't stop shaking. I know Sasuke can hear it, but I don't care anymore. He knows more than anyone what I feel, and how damn hard it is for me to hide it day after day.

It's been four years since I last saw her. She's still as beautiful as the first day I met her. Her eyes still mesmerize me. I see them in my dreams, haunting me. I hear her voice calling out to me. I see her deep blush against the contrast of her pale porcelain skin. And even though it's a dream, I always somehow feel the soft outline of her body and smell the faint scent of lilacs. Every night, without fail, she's the star of my dreams. Sometimes they come in the form of a memory, and sometimes they're just scenarios I come up with. Like me finding her and getting her back.

It's been fourteen years since I laid eyes on her for the first time. Fourteen years since I first spotted the young girl with indigo hair and pale lavender eyes that remind me of a full moon. Fourteen years since I saw her beautiful pale skin and pink blush up close for the first time. And fourteen years since I first heard her call me 'Naruto-kun'.

It's a long story, but I honestly feel as though my life began when I was nine years old, and ended when I was nineteen, no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise. Because when she left my life, she took my heart and soul with her. From the moment she first kissed me, they didn't belong to me anymore. She had them and she still does. I don't think I'll ever be able to get them back from her.

I lie on the bed and my relentless sobbing finally subsides after a few hours. I've actually exhausted myself from crying, something that hasn't happened in while. Damn. I allow my eyes to close, and my mind to drift into sleep. As I always do, I dream of pale lavender eyes and silky indigo hair. I dream of a time when we were happy. A time when our future looked so bright, and a time when she was mine.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _I gaze up at the ginormous building in front of me, and boy is it scary. People entering with their children, kids running around playing on the playground off to the side, and big yellow buses all over the place. I'm wearing my usual green goggles, an orange jacket, a gray t-shirt, black pants, and sneakers. Oh, and my lucky red scarf of course. I clutch it tightly and rub it against my frozen cheeks._

 _I gulp, rubbing the back of my head nervously. I feel a bead of sweat run down my neck. Can I do this?_

" _What's wrong kid? Nervous?" My Godfather, Jiraiya, asks me._

" _Yeah… is that okay?"_

 _He laughs openly at my question, "Of course it is! I'd be surprised if you weren't. You've been homeschooled for so long it's a brand new experience for you. But I know you'll do just fine."_

 _My eyes light up, "Really, you think so?"_

 _He smiles warmly at me, "Of course, kid. You've got guts, determination, and a good heart. That's the perfect combo for a good grades and making great friends. I believe in you."_

 _I smile so hard it almost splits my face. I love it when he tells me he believes in me. Nobody ever used to say that to me._

 _He pats me on the back, "Now go on inside. You've got all your books and I packed you a peanut butter sandwich and an apple for lunch. Behave yourself alright?"_

 _I walk to the entrance and turn back to him to wave, "Bye pervy old man!" I yell as I run inside. In the distance I can vaguely hear him screaming at me to 'Never call him that again,' and I chuckle to myself._

 _Inside the building looks even bigger than the outside did. So this is Konoha Elementary School, huh? I try to make my way to the main office, but it's proving to be difficult. I keep bumping into other kids, and the halls seem so big. Finally I see a door that says 'Main Office' And I practically sprint to it._

 _Inside, I see a desk that I can barely see over, and a secretary with short black hair smiles at me and waves me over. I look at her name tag, and see that her name is Shizune._

" _Hello young man, how can I help you?"_

 _I like her, she seems nice, "I'm new here, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. Can you tell me what room I need to go to?"_

 _She pulls open a drawer at her desk and begins to look through it, "Let's see… Uzumaki… Uzumaki… Uzu- aha! Here we are! Naruto Uzumaki!" She now has a file in her hand with my name on it, and opens it up, "Let's see here, Naruto you have homeroom with Ms. Mitarashi it seems. Room 105. Do you need directions?"_

 _I flash her a big smile, "No thanks! I got it! Thanks Miss Shizune!"_

 _I walk along and soon enough I see room 105 on the left. I put my hand on the handle and take a deep breath before pushing the door open._

 _I'm a bit early from the looks of things. There are only a few students here. Trying to be as discreet as possible, I place my backpack in the cubby with the few others and take a seat in the back of the class, just waiting for the day to start._

* * *

 _I thank my lucky stars when it's time for recess. I need to run around a let loose a little. At the beginning of class, Ms. Mitarashi announced me as the new student. I didn't mind so much until one kid, I think her name was Karin, pointed out how 'stupid' and 'weird-looking' my whiskers were. Now everyone is making fun of them. The kids keep saying they're fake, or that I must be part cat. I know for a fact that I am all human boy!_

 _I can handle this little setback though. Some kids bullying me is nothing compared to getting beaten by my foster parents, or being forced to sleep on the damp basement floor because there's no room in the house. Even though there actually is. These kids can't really hurt me like they think they can. I'm too tough._

 _Well, since none of the kids want to play with me, I decide to take a spot on the rope swing hanging on the tree by the water fountain. Maybe one of the kids over there will want to push me or something. Maybe._

 _As I'm swinging back and forth, I can vaguely hear someone, it sounds like a girl, and… is she crying? I stand up from my spot and turn around._

 _There, sitting on the ground with her face in her hands is a girl with short indigo hair and pale skin. And I was right, she's crying. She's surrounded by three boys._

" _Your eyes are ugly! Don't even look at us!"_

" _Yeah, you must be some kind of monster!"_

" _Yeah monster!"_

 _Those boys are bullying her because of her eyes? Just like me with my whiskers! I gotta do something!_

 _My body moves on its own as I run up to the bullies, "Hey, knock it off!"_

 _They turn to face me, and the girl briefly opens her eyes to look at me. Her eyes are a pale lavender and appear to have no pupils. Her eyes are really unique, but I think they're stunning. Even though right now they're kind of red and puffy._

 _One of the bullies sneers at me, "Hey look, it's that new kid. That kid with the whiskers. That kid that no one likes."_

 _That riles me up. For so many years I never really had an identity. I hate it when people don't use my name._

" _Hey! I'm not 'that kid'! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Don't forget it!" I'm breathing pretty hard now, I'm really mad._

" _Look kid, run along or we'll make you." One of them threatens me._

" _Oh yeah?" I don't give them time to respond as I immediately jump on one of them and land a single punch right on his nose. My small victory is short lived, however, when the other two boys pull me off and start kicking and punching me. Then, I feel my scarf leave my neck and hear them making fun of it, although thanks to a bump on the head I'm barely conscious so I can't see it. I can barely hear a high pitch voice yelling._

" _Stop it! Please stop!"_

 _It must be that girl with the pretty eyes. Oh yeah, she could still be in danger, I should try to get up. My body jolts up to take another crack at those boys, but they're gone. Only the girl remains, and I frown when I see what she's holding._

 _It's my scarf._

 _She runs up to me, "A-are you okay?"_

 _I dust myself off, "Yeah, don't worry I'm used to it." Sad but true._

" _Those boys… t-they ruined your s-scarf…" she tries to hold it up to me, but I wave her off._

" _That's okay, you keep it. It's ruined now anyway. Are you okay?" I ask her._

" _Y-Yes. I'm fine. I-I just want to say… thank you very much!" She tells me as she bows her head. This girl is really shy!_

 _I chuckle, "Don't mention it! What's your name?"_

 _She smiles at me and I can see her awesome lavender eyes again, "H-Hinata. Hinata Hyuga."_

" _Well Hinata Hyuga, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet ya!"_

 _She giggles softly and smiles up at me again, "Nice to meet you too."_

" _So those guys we're making fun of your eyes?" I ask her._

 _Her smile fades and she looks down at the ground, "Yeah, everyone in my family has weird eyes. People make fun of them a lot."_

 _Seeing her sad really bothers me, "Well I don't know why! They look really cool to me. They're totally beautiful, ya know?"_

 _Her head snaps back up to me and her eyes widen. She then averts her gaze and I see a tinge of pink dust her cheeks, "Y-you really think so?"_

 _I flash her the biggest smile I can muster, "Totally! They're awesome!"_

" _Thank you." She says as her cheeks turn from pink to crimson,"I think your whiskers are cool too."_

 _Now it's my turn to blush. I feel a warmth on my cheeks as I rub the back of my head sheepishly, "Thanks, ya know? We're both unique, which makes us cool! We should be friends!" I exclaim._

 _She smiles shyly at me, her blush never disappearing, "Y-Yes, I would like that very much Naruto-kun."_

 _Naruto-kun, huh? I think that's the first time I've heard that honorific with my name. I like it._

" _Yeah! Alright! Want me to push you on the swing?" I ask her as I point to the swing on the tree._

" _Y-Yes. That sounds fun, N-Naruto-kun."_

 _We spend the rest of recess taking turns pushing each other on the swing. Hinata is shy, but she's totally awesome and super nice! Not to mention her eyes are really pretty. I stare at them a lot, and I hope I don't creep her out because of it, but she doesn't seem to mind._

 _I go home that day really happy, because I know I have a friend. Finally._

 _It's about time!_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note!**_

 **Chapter 1 complete! I hope you guys like the beginning. And I hope I have you guys wondering what in the hell happened between those two. It's a mystery for now! Anyway, the story is in first person obviously, but next chapter will be from Hinata's point of view. I'll switch back and forth a lot between her and Naruto.**

 **Don't forget to check out my other story,** _ **What's Best for Everyone**_ **if you haven't already done so. I'll be updating both of these stories at least once a week!**

 **See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all of you wonderful readers! Hope you're all doing well. And I'm glad I was able to update this story before I went out of town!**

 **This chapter is from Hinata's point of view, and will feature another flashback. Actually, each chapter will have a flashback, telling the story of Naruto and Hinata's past and how they got to where they are now. It'll be interesting!**

 **On to chapter 2!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters (Unfortunately). Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

The rays of the morning sun streak through my window, disturbing my restless sleep. I groan and turn over to face the opposite wall, not wanting to deal with the day ahead. I rub the sleep from my eyes, and then the previous night's memories flood back into my exhausted brain.

Naruto.

I remember looking into those pools of cerulean and becoming lost in them, just like I used to so long ago. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and my lungs had forgotten how to take in oxygen.

I can't believe he's here, back in my life. I'm not ready for all of this. Leaving him when I did was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I'm not prepared to face him. I know I broke his heart, even though it was already broken to begin with. Then again, so was mine.

I was a coward. Hell, I guess I still am. I'm always running from my emotions, afraid to confront the full force of them. Neither one of us ever really dealt with what happened, and I ended up leaving everything behind. I tried to pretend none of it was real, but who was I kidding? I'll never move on.

I rub my face again, knowing that today is going to be difficult. I hope Naruto doesn't try to come over to talk to me. As badly as I want to see him, to hear his voice, I just can't. It hurts.

I curse myself every day for feeling this way. Naruto is most amazing guy in the entire world, and he didn't deserve for me to walk out. I've always known that, and yet I did it anyway. I don't know if I would do it differently if I could do it over, but I know one thing for sure: Naruto Uzumaki deserves so much more than me. I'm damaged goods, plain and simple.

There was once a time that we were truly perfect together. I still remember how we snuck out of gym class in high school to go behind the bleachers and make out, how his beautiful blue eyes shone with love and desire when we made love for the first time, and how he always stood up for me against both bullies and my own family. Naruto is an incredible man.

There's no doubt that I'm still in love with him. I haven't seen him in four years, but when his eyes met mine last night, I knew. But what else I knew is that seeing him brought back all the pain and anguish I felt on that day. It always does. That's why I left. I couldn't take the heartache any longer. It's not his fault. I'm sure when he figured it out, it really destroyed him. I remember the last few days before I left, seeing the hurt and longing in his eyes. It made things so much worse. I make things so much worse.

I get up to throw a pair of pajama pants on and walk into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. I sit at the kitchen table as I wait, just thinking.

"Mmm, I smell the wonderful aroma of coffee!" I hear behind me. I turn my head to see Sakura, dressed in pink pajamas and a bathrobe.

"Good morning Sakura."

She takes a seat next to me, and I can tell she's going to bring it up.

"Good morning. Are… are you alright?" She asks me.

I look down at my hands clasped together in my lap, "Yeah, I'm sorry I freaked out like that. I guess I ruined dinner huh?"

She waves it off and smiles, "Don't worry about it, Naruto did the exact same thing."

My head snaps up to her, "He did?!"

"Yeah, he wouldn't speak for a minute, I tried to ask him what was wrong, but nothing. Then he started breathing all hard and took off in a dead sprint out of the house. It was crazy." She explained.

Guilt threatens to consume me. He panicked and ran out because of me. That's unlike him. At least, that's unlike the Naruto I know. But I haven't seen him in four years. Maybe he's changed. I know I have.

The old Naruto would have chased me down the hall, held my face in his hands and calmed me with those loving words of his. But I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't do that. If I'm being honest, he probably hates me now. I left him behind to suffer all alone. At least he had Jiraiya. That thought helps me a bit.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"Why are you sorry?" I wonder aloud.

She frowns and folds her hands on the table, "I should have told you my friend's name was Naruto and my boyfriend's name was Sasuke. I just kept referring to them as 'my friend and my boyfriend'. It was dumb, and Naruto and Sasuke weren't prepared either."

"So… I take it Sasuke told you everything?" I ask her.

She nods, "Yeah… and I'm sorry. Look, I won't ask you to talk about it, or question you about leaving Naruto. We don't know each other that well yet, but Naruto is my best friend, so I feel like I need to be there for you. So just know, if you need someone to talk to… I'm here."

"So am I."

That voice. My head snaps back towards the living room, and I'm greeted by the sight of none other than Sasuke Uchiha. He's wearing a long sleeve black shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans and sneakers. He looks the same to me, except his hair has grown longer and covers his left eye.

"S-Sasuke."

"Hello Hinata. Long time no see." I can detect a hint of anger in his voice. I don't blame him at all. Sasuke was my best friend, so when I left I abandoned him as well. And he and Naruto are like brothers, I'm sure he harbors a lot of hostility for me.

"Yeah… sorry…" I mutter. It sounds like nothing more than a lame half-assed apology. He walks towards me and leans his hand on the chair I'm sitting in.

"Sakura, do you mind letting Hinata and I talk alone for a few minutes? It's kind of important."

Sakura nods and turns to leave, walking down the hallway and shutting the door to her bedroom behind her.

Sasuke takes a seat across from me, and the tension in the room is palpable. It's making it almost hard to breathe. I just hope I can get through this.

"Hinata, I'm not here to yell at you or vilify you. I just want to talk." He explains, sensing my nervousness.

"About what?" I ask him, even though I already know the answer.

"What do you think? About Naruto, of course."

I avert my gaze, "I see."

"Hinata, I'm not always the best when it comes to emotions or love, but Sakura has been a huge help to me in that department. So I think I can speak about this with more confidence on the subject than I used to be able to. It's obvious that you two still have strong feelings for each other, but there's so much pain and heartbreak marring all of that."

"There's no way Naruto still cares for me." I state bluntly.

Sasuke scoffs, "Believe me, the guy is my best friend and has been my roommate now for four years. I know he's still madly in love with you."

My head snaps up, my mouth agape. He still loves me? He shouldn't.

"He's become cold Hinata, detached from everyone. He's not the same person. It's like he just goes through the motions of life, not really participating. The only time I can get emotion out of him is when I mention your name. I think he feels like his life already ended a long time ago, and he's just carrying on because he doesn't know what else to do _._ " He explains.

My heart drops upon hearing that, because I understand it completely. So, he's changed too. I hate it more for him though, because I did it to him. It's my fault.

"Sasuke, I'm not sure what to do. I want to help him… but…" But I can't see him. I can't be with him. It hurts me too much to see his face.

As if hearing my thoughts, Sasuke gives me a solution, "There are other ways to communicate with someone other than seeing them in person. Hinata, I hate to ask things of you right now, but I know that you're the only one who can help him. You're the only one who can bring out emotions in him again, make him feel. Please, I want my best friend back."

I think hard on his words, communicating without seeing him huh? That gives me an idea.

My lips curve into a smile, "Thanks Sasuke. Thanks a lot." I say as I stand up to go back to my bedroom. As I make it to the hallway, I turn back to him one last time.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that I hurt you. Thank you for still being there for me."

He smirks, "Anytime."

I continue back to my bedroom and shut the door. I have an idea, and I think it's a pretty good one. I scramble over to my desk and open up my laptop. This is a great plan. Naruto and I had pet names for each other in high school. It's how I had him saved in my cell phone. I open up my gmail and type in his old email address into the bar. I just hope he still checks this email account. If not, I'll have to ask Sakura for his current one.

I type out the message I want to say, smiling softly as I reminisce for a bit. I take a deep breath, steeling my nerves, and hit send.

 _Whiskers,_

 _I'm sorry about last night. I just wasn't prepared. I hope you're not too upset that I'm back in your life now. I'm not upset about it. Surprised, shocked, and nervous, but not upset. I hope you'll write back to me._

 _\- Lavender_

Whiskers and Lavender. They were nicknames that we gave each other. They pointed out our unique flaws, and turned them into a positive thing. Those weren't the only names we had for each other. Sometimes I called him Naru, or my fox, and he would occasionally call me Hina, Hina-chan, or his bunny. We were pretty nauseating now that I think about it. But I loved it.

 _PING!_

I hear a sound from my computer and my heart skips a beat. I bring my eyes back to my email and see that he has replied. I take another deep breath. Come on Hinata, you can do this.

I hesitantly open the email, preparing myself for anything.

 _Lavender,_

 _I know seeing me last night was a crazy feeling, I felt it too. When you left I told myself I would leave you alone because I knew it was what you wanted. If that's still what you want, that's fine. You don't have to see me, but maybe we can talk like this? I was happy to see your email. Please. I need to keeping hearing from you. Let me know what you think._

 _\- Whiskers_

I hold back the the overwhelming urge to squeal like I'm a fifteen year old girl again. No matter what's happened, or how long it's been, Naruto still gives me butterflies.

I eagerly type out my next message and hit send, excited to see what he'll say in response.

 _Whiskers,_

 _I understand. I can talk to you like this, it's not as painful. And it's easier to actually say what I want to say. I was hoping for us to continue to communicate like this. Since I'm the one who ran, you can ask me whatever you want and I'll answer honestly. You deserve that._

 _\- Lavender_

I feel like he's going to ask me why I ran, but I hope not. In all honesty, he probably already knows the answer.

 _PING!_

 _Lavender,_

 _Okay, I'll agree to that. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not going to ask why you left. I already know why. What I want to know is how you ended up here in the city. I'm really curious as to where you went. Please tell me._

 _\- Whiskers_

Whew, that's a relief. I'm glad he didn't ask me that. How I got here huh? Kind of a long story, but I don't mind explaining it to him. It's the least I can do, after all.

 _Whiskers,_

 _It's a long story. After I left, I still couldn't go back to Father, so I found a women's shelter who agreed to take me in. I lived there for a year, working in a diner and saving up as much money as I could. Once I had enough, I got my own apartment and eventually got a car too. But I still kept working at the diner. Eventually I realized I was in a rut, so I decided to figure out what I wanted to do in life. I decided that I wanted to go into social work, and that was because of you actually. I want to help children who go through what you went through. That's why I moved out here. I'm starting school next week. I put off college for a long time, but now I'm finally going. What about you? What are you doing now?_

 _\- Lavender_

I know I should be heading to the shower and getting ready for the day. I have to go to campus to register for classes and buy some school supplies from the bookstore. But, I can't rip my eyes away from the screen just yet. Just one more email.

 _PING!_

 _Lavender,_

 _That's really amazing ya know? I'm proud of you. A few months after you left, I also questioned myself about what I wanted to do with my life. Actually Sasuke questioned me. He was really there for me. Anyway I decided to become a lawyer to defend kids in the system. I want to help them get justice and find a happy family. I finished undergrad last spring and now I'm about to start law school. I'm really excited, ya know? Sasuke graduated with a Criminal Justice degree and now he has a new job as a detective here in the city. We met Sakura in college and her and Sasuke have been together for two years. Sakura is starting medical school, although as her roommate I'm sure you know that. You're in good hands with her, she's a great person. She's been a good friend to me._

 _\- Whiskers_

I giggle. He still says "ya know". It's like a catch phrase of his that just won't die. So many people used to tell him it was annoying, but I love it. It's just so… Naruto. I glance at the clock.

9:30.

I sigh, I guess I need to start getting ready now. I'm bummed, because if I had my way I would just continue to talk to Naruto all day. It's a great feeling, even if I can't hear his voice.

 _Whiskers,_

 _So we both want to help kids in the system… we are quite a pair huh? Well I only wish I hadn't waited so long to start college, but at least I'm doing it. For a while I thought I would work at that diner forever. Anyway, I have to head to campus now to get some things and register for classes. I'll email you again when I get back this evening._

 _I'll talk to you you then,_

 _\- Lavender_

I twist my lips together in my irritation, I really don't want to leave, but I need to be responsible. I don't even fully rise from my seat before I hear it.

 _PING!_

I should ignore it and get ready. I can read it later. But my body is refusing to listen, as if it can sense my true feelings. I lean over the desk and open the email.

 _Lavender,_

 _I understand. Stay on top of everything and be prepared._

 _I look forward to hearing from you, bunny :)_

 _\- Whiskers_

I feel my cheeks heat up and I know my face has to be beet red. I never blush like this anymore, but Naruto has always brought that out in me.

Bunny. He called me bunny. I miss that. I don't want to miss it, but I do.

I don't know where this little email chatting is leading to, but I don't want it to stop. Maybe talking to him at all is a mistake on my part, but Sasuke said I was the only one who could help him. And the more I talk to him, the more I realize he's helping me too.

Okay, now I really have to start getting ready. I jump up from my seat and quickly set off for the shower, stripping my pajamas as I walk. I turn on the hot water and grab a towel to use before stepping in and letting the water hit my face and breasts.

As I rinse the shampoo from my hair and the soapy suds trail down my back and thighs, I can't help but start to daydream about the past. The happiest times of my life were when I was always with Naruto and Sasuke. Before Naruto was my boyfriend, he was my best friend. All three of us used to be inseparable.

I knew from the moment I met Naruto that I liked him as more than a friend, however. I remember when he said he liked my eyes. My heart skipped a beat when he said it. No one had ever said that before, everyone always used to say they were ugly, or that I must be a monster or demon. But Naruto didn't. He knew what it was like to be bullied for something you can't help. I remember hearing our classmates tease him for his whiskers. When we got older, people teased him for his background. But not only did he take it all in stride, he lifted me up with him. After that day, I never let the bullies bother me again. Because I knew Naruto didn't let them get to him, so why should I? He became my inspiration.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _I skip cheerfully on way to school this morning, more excited to get to school than I ever have been. Why am I so eager to get there? Because I finally have a friend! Yesterday, I met this really sweet boy named Naruto Uzumaki. He stood up for me against those bullies. And he said he liked my eyes! When he said that, I got a fuzzy feeling in my tummy. I can't wait to play with him at recess today. Maybe we can eat lunch together too! How exciting!_

" _Big sister! Stop going so fast! I can't keep up!" I hear behind me. I pause my skipping, almost forgetting I have company._

" _Sorry Hanabi. I'm just really excited for school today!" I say, giggling. My sweet little sister finally catches up to me. She resembles me a lot, except her skin is a tad darker, and her hair is a dark brown. Her eyes are the same as mine, just the same as nearly everyone in our family. Most people in my family have white-silvery eyes. However, Hanabi, myself, and my mother's are a bit different. Our eyes are more of a pale lavender. Either way, they look strange and the pupil isn't visible. We get picked on a lot for it, but Hanabi is tough. She always pushes back, and people usually back off. Not me, though. I wish I wasn't so sensitive. I wish I was more like her. It's kind of depressing considering she's four years younger than me. She's only five!_

" _I noticed! What's got you so happy big sis?" She asks me as we walk along, her big pale eyes looking up at me._

 _I can't help the smile and blush that works its way onto my cheeks. Ever since yesterday, my cheeks keep getting hot._

" _Well… I met a boy yesterday…"_

 _She lights up, "Oooh Hinata! Do you loooove him?"_

 _My whole face feels hot and I'm sure I look like a big tomato, "W-what! N-no! No way! I just met him!" I shout in a panicky voice._

 _She puts her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh, "Yeah, sure. You totally love him!"_

 _At this point I'm surprised there isn't steam coming out of my ears, "Shut your mouth! You're too young to speak of such things!"_

 _I'm totally embarrassed that my five year old little sister can fluster me so easily, but she has such a dominant personality. She's nothing like me._

 _Good for her._

* * *

 _I make my way down the hall and drop Hanabi off at her classroom. Finally, I can go to class and see Naruto again! Just the thought makes my chest feel warm. What is this weird feeling I have when I'm around him or think of him?_

 _I practically sprint down the hall to Ms. Mitarashi's room. I step inside, and I see him. He hasn't noticed me yet. He's sitting at his desk, drawing on a blank piece of paper. I put my purple backpack in the cubby and make my way over to him. As I shuffle over to the desk next to his, I can't help but notice that my cheeks are warm again and my legs feel like jelly. Why am I so nervous?!_

 _He finally spots me when I'm a few feet from his desk, and ocean blue meets pale lavender. It's as if his eyes put me in a sort of trance, they look so magical. I can't believe how amazing his eyes are. They take my breath away._

 _We stare at each other for a moment before he blinks rapidly, as if working to break through the trance, then he grins at me, "Hey Hinata! What's up?"_

 _I avert my gaze to the floor, my face getting hotter, "H-hi N-Naruto-kun. N-nothing much. H-how are you?" I ask him, silently cursing my stuttering._

 _His smile widens and I can practically see all of his teeth, his cute whiskers stretching across his cheeks. I really do love his whiskers._

" _I'm great! Hey! Check this out!" He says as he thrusts the paper he was drawing on into my hands. I glance down at it, seeing that it's a drawing of a boy and a girl. Upon closer inspection, I notice the boy has whiskers._

" _Is this you?" I question him._

 _He chuckles, "Yeah! Me and you! See, look at the girl's eyes!"_

 _I look back down to the drawing and scan over the face of the girl. She has no pupils, just like me. I smile._

" _Th-this is s-so nice N-Naruto-kun!"_

 _I swear for second I see his cheeks flush, and he proceeds to rub the back of his head, "Thanks, ya know! I wanted to give it to you since we're best friends now!" He exclaims, flashing me that wonderful smile of his._

 _My stomach feels all fuzzy again, Naruto makes me feel so strange sometimes. I take the picture and place it in my notebook. I'll have to put it in my desk in my bedroom when I get home._

" _Thank you so much Naruto-kun." I'm practically throwing a party in my mind because I got through a sentence without stuttering._

 _I take my seat next to him as everyone files into the class, including Ms. Mitarashi. I try really hard to pay attention to what she's telling us, taking notes in my notebook. But I'm only half focused. I'm so aware of Naruto sitting so close to me. It's really distracting, but I don't mind. Even though it's hard to focus, I'm just so happy that I finally have a friend who wants to be around me._

* * *

 _Recess comes, and once again the bullies descend, but Naruto steps in before they even get close to me. He's amazing, always sticking up for me. I'm starting to feel bad though. He took a punch to the gut before those boys walked away. I need to start sticking up for myself._

 _I lean over him, patting his back while he holds his stomach, "I'm s-sorry Naruto-kun."_

 _He looks up to me, a confused expression on his face, "Sorry? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything."_

 _I shift my gaze to the ground, "Exactly. N-Naruto-kun… because I couldn't stick up for m-myself, you got hurt again. It's all my fault. I-I need to be more confident."_

 _He chuckles and rises up, "Don't worry about it Hinata. It's not so easy for everyone to deal with bullies. Besides, I… well…" He's rubbing the back of his head again. Is he nervous or something?_

" _I know this sounds weird but, I kind of like the idea of coming to your rescue." He admits, a light blush dusting his cheeks._

 _There it is again, that fuzzy feeling. What in the world is this strange sensation?_

 _I place my hand on his shoulder, "Thanks Naruto-kun. B-but… still… I need to become a s-stronger p-person. I r-really appreciate y-you being there for m-me though."_

 _He smiles warmly, and when his gaze meets mine I'm lost in those beautiful cerulean orbs once again._

* * *

 _Lunch time comes, and to my delight Naruto wants to eat lunch with me. This is the best day ever!_

 _We sit at a round table, all by ourselves. It's pretty obvious that we're the outcasts of the class, but I don't care anymore. We have each other._

" _Hey, who's that kid over there?" Naruto asks me, bringing me out of my thoughts._

 _I follow his line of sight and see he is staring at a boy with raven hair and pale skin. His eyes are onyx and he's wearing a blue shirt with white shorts and sneakers. He's eating his tray full of food all by himself._

" _Th-that's S-Sasuke Uchiha. H-his dad is the sh-sheriff of th-the police force." I explain._

 _Naruto looks troubled. He's stopped eating his sandwich and continues to stare at Sasuke._

" _W-what's wrong N-Naruto-kun?"_

 _His brows furrow, "Hinata, let's go sit with him."_

 _My brows shoot up in surprise, "Huh? Why?"_

" _Well, we didn't have any friends before yesterday, and it looks like he doesn't have any friends either. Everyone should have a friend. I want to try to be his friend." He explains._

 _I look on in awe. Naruto is such a sweetheart._

" _O-okay."_

 _We pick up our lunch boxes and rise from our seats, making our way over to the lonesome Uchiha. As we approach him, he takes notice of us, but then returns to eating as if he doesn't want to acknowledge us._

 _Naruto takes a seat right next to Sasuke, and I sit across from them, bumping my fingers together nervously. Everyone knows that Sasuke is a loner. Most girls in the class really like him, but he shows no interest and tells people to leave him alone. He's a bit intimidating to me, but I follow Naruto's lead._

" _Hey there!" Naruto greets him cheerfully. Sasuke doesn't look at him._

" _Hey." He says in response with no emotion._

" _My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and this is Hinata Hyuga."_

" _I know." He replies as he takes a bite of an apple. I can't help but feel awkward, but Naruto isn't deterred._

" _And you're Sasuke right? Sasuke Uchiha?"_

" _Yep."_

" _Is it okay if we join you for lunch Sasuke?"_

" _Hn."_

 _This is how the conversation continues all throughout lunch. Naruto speaks animatedly to Sasuke, and Sasuke responds with one word every time, no emotion or inflection in his tone._

 _Anyone else would think that this was a disaster, but it wasn't. From what I know of Sasuke, if he doesn't like you he just walks away or tells you to go away. He doesn't do that to Naruto or me. He's actually tolerating Naruto's pressing questions and expressive stories. I almost can't believe it._

 _After the bell rings to end lunch, the three of us pack up and head back to class, except Sasuke isn't in our class. As we begin to separate, Naruto shouts back at Sasuke._

" _Hey! Sasuke! Wanna eat lunch together tomorrow too?" He asks him, grinning that adorable Naruto grin._

 _Sasuke pauses, his hand on the doorknob of the classroom. He doesn't turn to face us, but he responds nonetheless._

" _Yeah."_

* * *

 _After the final bell rings, I make sure to meet up with Naruto before I have to leave with Hanabi. I don't know where Naruto lives, but I'm hoping maybe he'll want to walk home with us._

" _Naruto-kun!" I shout at him. He turns his head to me and flashes a smile._

" _Hinata! About to head home?"_

" _Y-yes… I was w-wondering…" I start, bumping my fingers together anxiously._

" _Hmm? What is it?"_

" _I-I was wondering i-if you would like to walk home with me." I say, averting my gaze from his blue eyes again._

 _He chuckles and rubs the back of his head again. I'm beginning to find that tendency of his to be really charming._

" _I would love to Hinata, but my godfather is actually picking me up from school. I have to wait for him here."_

 _Godfather?_

" _Naruto-kun, you live with your godfather?" I question him. I'm really curious now._

" _Mhm! He adopted me not too long ago. And I'm sure glad! Being in foster care is no fun!" He states as if it's completely normal. Naruto was in foster care? What happened to his parents? I'm starting to feel a little sad._

" _Naruto-kun… why were you in foster care?" I ask him, my stuttering gone. My concern is enough to overcome my intense shyness._

 _He looks off into the distance, multiple emotions playing on his face, as if recalling a memory, "Well, my parents died a long time ago, ya know?"_

 _Instantly my chest feels tight and uncomfortable. My heart gives a harsh squeeze._

" _Oh… Naruto-kun I'm sorry."_

 _He switches his expression back to jovial without missing a beat, "Don't be sorry Hinata! They're watching over me! I'm sure if they were here they would really like you!"_

 _Yep. There it is again. My stomach feels funny again._

" _Oh! Th-thank you N-Naruto-kun!"_

 _Suddenly, I hear a deep voice from behind us._

" _Hey kid! Ready to hit the road?"_

 _Naruto and I turn around to face the voice. What I see is a large man, incredibly stocky. He has long white spiky hair and tanned skin. He wears a pale green shirt, a red vest and a pair of blue jeans and sandals. He looks odd to me, but for some reason his presence feels warm and friendly._

" _Yeah! Hey, pervy old man! This is Hinata! The girl I told you about who's my friend!" He shouts._

 _Pervy old man? What the-_

" _Kid! I told you not to call me that! Hmph!" He scolds, crossing his arms. Then, his mouth turns up into a smile, "So, this is little Hinata-chan, eh? She's pretty Naruto."_

 _I blush, and Naruto's face turns red as well. I assume it's from a mixture of anger and embarrassment, "S-shutup old man! Sheesh! You're embarrassing me, ya know?"_

 _I giggle, looking back up to the man. He extends his large hand out to me, "Well Hinata-chan, it's nice to meet you. My name is Jiraiya, and I'm Naruto's godfather. He's told me a lot about you."_

" _R-really?" I ask. To know that Naruto talks about me makes me really happy._

 _I glance over to Naruto and want to crack up at his appearance. His entire face is a deep crimson, and he's wearing a pout with his arms crossed._

" _Can we go please?!"_

" _Yeah, yeah, alright kid. I'm done embarrassing you for today. Let's go home. Hinata-chan, it was nice to meet you."_

 _Naruto waves to me as he and Jiraiya walk to a parked red car, "Bye Hinata! See ya tomorrow!"_

 _I wave shyly back to him, "Bye, Naruto-kun."_

 _I continue to stand in the same spot even after they leave, a goofy grin plastered to my face._

" _You totally love him!"_

" _EH? H-Hanabi!"_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note!**_

 **Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. What is it that happened to Hinata and Naruto that was so bad? Hmm? You'll just have to wait and see!**

 **Each chapter will switch back and forth between Naruto and Hinata's point of view. So next chapter, back to Naruto!**

 **This chapter was a bit lighthearted compared to the rest of the story, and the next few chapters probably will be too.** _ **Don't forget about my prior warning, if any of those themes bother you, it's probably best to back out now.**_

 **I'll be out of town from Dec. 22- Jan. 5, I won't have very good internet during that period so I may not be able to update until I get back. Sorry! But I'll continue to write and hopefully I'll be able to update in bulk when I get back.**

 **See you all next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I'm back! And I've brought back two chapters with me! Thank you guys for being so patient!**

 **I hope everyone had a good time with family and friends. Happy New Year! I'm glad to be back and updating my stories again.**

 **So, I actually changed up a big part of what I was going to do with this story. It still has some dark themes, but not nearly as bad as it was initially, which I think was the correct call on my part. I feel a lot better about it!**

 **Anyway, we're back to Naruto's point of view now, and I'll start dropping some very subtle hints every now and then about what happened between Naruto and Hinata. I'll have a couple in this chapter, although I'll be surprised if you guess it right now.**

 **On to chapter 3!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

I sprint up the street at top speed, swerving in and out of passing pedestrians. It's a chilling 10 degrees out, and I need my coffee and cinnamon roll from Sunshine Cafe. I asked Sakura to meet me there, hoping to discuss a few things with her.

The past few days have almost been like a dream. Sure, maybe most people wouldn't consider emailing a girl you love back and forth a dream, but for me it is. I never thought I would ever communicate with Hinata again in any way, so for me this is remarkable. When my laptop dinged, and I saw her name in my gmail, my heart threatened to jump right out of my chest. There I was, pondering over how to speak to her when the decision was made for me.

And she called me whiskers. One of the several nicknames we bestowed upon each other during high school. I'm well aware that other people found it absolutely sickening, but to me it was something else so pure and perfect about our relationship. Lavender, bunny, Hina, whatever it was, it was a term of endearment to my beautiful Hinata. Damn, I miss her.

I asked Sakura to meet me here because I'm sure that Sakura has spoken to her a bit about this. Not to mention, I really could use a woman's perspective. I want to know how to move this forward, or if it's even possible to begin with. Is there too much history for us to work it out? Does she even want to? Do I? Ugh. So many questions… I think my head is going to explode.

I walk into the warmth of the cafe and feel the iciness of my skin begin to melt away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see an absurd amount of pink that can only be Sakura Haruno. We make eye contact, and she waves me over to a small table near the window. She's wearing a pink jacket with red trim, light pink leggings, and black knee-high boots.

"Naruto! What's up?"

"Nothing much, finally met up with Dr. Sarutobi today for the fellowship I'm doing. He seems pretty cool. What about you?" I ask her as I begin to remove my orange jacket and black gloves.

"Great! I met Dr. Tsunade Senju today as well. She seems tough, but that's just like me! I can't wait to work under her. It's exciting!" She beams.

I remember why I invited her here, and I nervously rub the back of my head, "Uh that's cool Sakura. Um well, I'm gonna go order really quick. Be right back!" I say as I walk up to the counter and order my usual black coffee and cinnamon roll. A perfect treat on a cold day like today.

I return with my warm little treat and begin to sip my coffee. I notice that Sakura is barely containing a smile as she intertwines her fingers in front of her face.

"So…"

"So…?" I repeat.

She slams her palms on the table, making me jump a bit, "Oh, come on Naruto! I know you've been chatting with Hinata online! How's it going? I _need_ to know! It's driving me nuts!"

I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment as I rub the back of my head again, "It's going well, I think. It's hard to tell. She hasn't said anything to you?"

She huffs in frustration, "Not really. I ask her and she says 'good' but nothing more. I can't believe my roommate is the same Hinata who you ha-"

"I know, I know." I cut her off, not wanting to hear it out loud, "Look, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Sasuke told you everything that happened. And you're a girl, so you might know how she's feeling better than me. I… I still love her. I think I always will. When I talk to her, even though it's just through email, I feel like my old self again. I feel different emotions that I never really feel anymore. I thought I had forgotten how to feel, but she's bringing it back in me already."

She brings her hand to her chest and smiles warmly at me, "Naruto, that's so sweet!"

I allow myself a smile back at her, "Thanks, but I have some concerns. You know our history, so I was wondering if you think there's too much damage done for us to ever get back together. Do you think we have a chance? Would she even want to try again? What happened… we've both suffered so much… and she can barely stand to see me. I know it just reminds her of that day. But maybe… I don't know… am I crazy?" I ask both her and myself.

Sakura takes my hand in hers and her smile is reassuring, "Naruto, what happened to you two was awful, and I can't imagine how it made you feel, how it still makes you feel. Hinata still needs help coming to terms with it and finding a way to move forward. I still don't think she has. Maybe you can help her the same way she's helping you. If that happens, I think you two can be together again. Just speaking from a girl's perspective, I think she still loves you."

I can't ignore the flutter in my heart at those words, "Really? You… you think so?"

She squeezes my hand, "Of course. When a girl falls in love, and it's true love, her feelings don't change easily. Honestly, they can't change. I can understand that, because of how strongly I love Sasuke-kun. You still need to take things slowly and carefully, but have some faith. I think there's some hope for you two."

Hearing this confirmed to me by another person is one of the best things that could have happened. For the first time in years, my body is flooded in a tingly warmth, and happy tears gather in my eyes. I force them back, not wanting to embarrass myself in public.

I stand up from the table and throw on my jacket and gloves, eager to get back home. There's something I need to go do.

"Thank you Sakura." It's a simple statement, but the emotion and meaning behind it is so powerful.

As I exit, I hear her response, "Any time Naruto. Please, let yourself be happy, okay?"

I grin from ear to ear as I sprint at top speed back to my apartment, attempting to ignore the frigid air that's being sucked into my lungs. I haven't felt like this in so long. I can feel the ice around my heart thawing the more I think about speaking with Hinata. Maybe the future we had, the one we expected, is something that we can eventually have again, and because of that hope blooms in my chest. There's a chance.

I run inside and fling my jacket onto the couch, not bothering to check and see if Sasuke is home. I can talk to him later. I just hope that my Hina is available to talk right now. I push my door open and plop onto my desk chair, opening my laptop and pulling up my gmail as fast as I can. My heart is beating so hard I feel like my neighbors can even hear it. I've never felt so excited to send an email before.

 _Lavender,_

 _How are you today? I know undergrad is starting for you in a couple of days. I'm really excited for you to get into the groove of school, especially since I know how good of a student you are. And of course, if you ever need help with anything I'll be here for you. If you want that, of course._

 _\- Whiskers_

I don't want to sound pushy or desperate, but in all honesty I totally am. I am desperate for Hinata to know how I'm feeling, but I don't want to scare her off. It's honestly tearing me apart, but just getting to speak to her is a huge help.

 _PING!_

My heart leaps into my throat. She replied already!

 _Whiskers,_

 _I'm doing great today! Even though it's cold, which you know I despise. I'm excited to get back into school too. I wish I hadn't pushed it off so much, but I'm going now and that's all that matters. But I still need to find a job. So much to do! And, I know you'll be there for me. That was never a question :) What about you?_

 _\- Lavender_

Gosh, it's amazing how just a simple reply can make my spirit soar. I've smiled genuinely more in the last minute than I have in the last four years, probably. Hinata is amazing. I type so fast my fingers burn, wanting to get my reply to her as quickly as possible.

 _Lavender,_

 _Better late than never! I'm proud of you for going. I don't know what you should do for a job, but I'm sure there's plenty available here in the city. I worked two jobs throughout college, and then in my last semester I did a paid internship. I saved a ton of money which is why I can afford a nice apartment now. I'll also be doing a fellowship while in law school, so I've got my finances taken care of for now. Say, have you checked out the Sunshine Cafe on 2nd yet? It's really great, they have awesome cinnamon rolls, I know they're your favorite._

 _\- Whiskers_

I'm secretly hoping she'll go while I'm there so we "randomly" bump into each other. I know it sounds pretty pathetic, but what can I say? I'm in love.

 _PING!_

There's that sound again. At this point, I'm pretty convinced that it's the greatest sound in existence.

 _Whiskers,_

 _Sounds like you've worked hard these past four years. I'm really proud of you. I know things couldn't have been easy for you. And to get into law school, your grades had to have been great! To do that while working two jobs is fantastic._

 _Sunshine Cafe, huh? I'll have to give it a try. You're right of course, I'm always a sucker for cinnamon rolls. Although, I don't remember you ever caring much for them. I'm surprised you've tried them._

 _\- Lavender_

Damn. She caught me. I never used to care for sweets at all until she left. I didn't do it on purpose, but I started clinging to little things that reminded me of her. Cinnamon rolls are her favorite food, so I began eating them all the time. I also got into art, as well as classical music. All things I thought were unappealing before, and now I think they're great. Even if she was gone, I knew I could at least keep those little things around. I know it sounds dumb, but it's been hard, being without her. Without my sunshine. I'm embarrassed to admit to her the truth, but I'm going to do it anyway. I need to be honest with her.

 _Lavender,_

 _Well, this is embarrassing to admit, and I hate to put a damper on things, but after you… well… left… I started to develop a craving for them. I actually eat them all the time now. Every time I go to the cafe I order a black coffee and a cinnamon roll. I didn't do it on purpose, but my body just started wanting them. Sorry if I bummed you out._

 _\- Whiskers_

I now feel like the biggest moron ever for admitting to that. What if I make her feel bad? Ugh, I'm such an idiot. Now I'm sitting here, waiting on pins and needles for her reply. Damn, why do I always fuck everything up?

 _PING!_

I was so busy scolding myself that the sound scares me to death, and I fall backwards in my chair, slamming into the floor, "Fuck!"

I clumsily scramble back into the chair and scan the computer screen for Hinata's words.

 _Whiskers,_

 _No, that's okay. Actually, it's a bit ironic. The same thing happened to me with ramen. It's become my favorite food. I probably eat it as much as you do now. In fact, there's a new ramen stand I've been meaning to try out since I got here. It's called Ichiraku, and I heard it's really good. If you… if you wanted to show up there Friday night at 7:00, I wouldn't mind. I'll be there too._

 _\- Lavender_

My breathing stops. My heart is threatening to explode out of my body, and my head feels fuzzy. I rub my eyes just to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

Did she really just invite me out for ramen?

It wasn't a normal invite, and it's certainly not a date. If anything, she's telling me she wants to try being in the same vicinity as me. Who knows if she'll even speak to me. But it's a start, and an opportunity that I am definitely not going to pass up.

Maybe Hinata wants what I want! I'm afraid to believe that for sure, but the spark of hope in my heart won't go away.

 _Lavender,_

 _That sounds great, really. You know, ramen is still my number one weakness. I think I will show up. When I get there, am I allowed to speak to you at all?_

 _\- Whiskers_

I have to know. What are my boundaries with her on this little meetup? Will we be taking? Just looking at each other? Or neither one? Even being near her is enough for me at the moment. And, of course, knowing that she actually wants me nearby.

 _PING!_

Here we go.

 _Whiskers,_

 _I'm not sure yet. I think I'll have to decide that shortly before you show up. But even if I decide not to talk, I'll still be glad you're there. And we can always discuss the evening through our emails. Please, don't be mad. I promise I really am trying._

 _\- Lavender_

Mad? How could she think I could ever be mad at her? Honestly, even when we were together and we argued, I could never truly be mad at her. I just don't have it in me. Especially when she would look at me with those gorgeous lavender eyes of hers. I'm at her mercy completely, and she has no idea.

 _Lavender,_

 _You don't have to apologize. Just the fact that you are inviting me to eat ramen with you is a big step for you, I know that. I promise I'll only look or speak to you if you want me to. Until you turn your back to walk away, then I'll be watching you just like I always used to. I've never been able to help that._

 _\- Whiskers_

I chuckle to myself because of that last part I wrote. It's true. Hina has a fantastic ass. I've been staring at it unashamedly ever since puberty slammed into me like a freight train. Hinata developed early too, so I wasn't the only hormone-ridden boy to notice. And boy, did it drive me bonkers. I was too much of a stupid pre teen boy to realize it at the time, but I was crazy about her. The thought of another boy being with her made me insane.

It still does. I never want anyone else besides me to know how she looks naked, how amazing her breasts and perky pink nipples are, how sweet and wonderful she tastes, how sexy she sounds when she orgasms, or how she puts all of her passion into lovemaking. That's only for me. I know we're not together anymore, but the idea of someone else knowing what I know is enough to drive me to insanity. I don't know if I could handle it.

I've been this way even before I knew all those things about her. Even long before we were ever a couple. I was always a bit possessive of her, but everything changed when we were twelve years old, and my body began to change.

Even though my brain was clouded by hormones and racy thoughts, it was also around that same time that I began to notice how special Hinata was as a person.

* * *

 _Flashback_

" _Hey! Hinata-chan!" I shout as I run towards her, her face buried in her locker._

 _She turns and faces me, her shoulder-length indigo hair swaying. A cheerful smile is on her face, and a usual light dusting of pink is on her cheeks, "Hello, Naruto-kun. How are you today?"_

 _I stand there with a giant goofy grin on my face, just like I always do when I'm around her, "I'm great, ya know? I think I'm ready for middle school to end already though, and for junior high to start. Mr. Umino is always on my case!"_

 _She giggles at my words, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. I'm not sure what it is about her giggle, but it makes me feel kinda tingly._

" _Naruto-kun, if you would just pay attention in class and stop playing pranks, he wouldn't be on your case." She states as she closes her locker and we begin to walk down the hall towards homeroom._

" _Ah, but it's just so boring! And the look on his face whenever he sits on a thumbtack is priceless!" I exclaim as I chuckle. I love pulling pranks, I'm always able to get attention that way._

 _She shoves me playfully as we walk, "Oh Naruto-kun, when will you ever learn?"_

" _My guess is, probably never." Replies another voice. We both look up to see our classmate, Kiba Inuzuka standing before us. He's got tanned skin, brown hair, and two weird red tattoos on his face. He's says it's some kind of family thing, but to me it just seems odd. The look on his face is… strange. Why is he looking at Hinata that way?_

" _Kiba-kun, how are you?" Asks Hinata, cheerful as always._

 _Kiba smirks, "I'm good Hinata-chan, but I'd be even better if you'd say yes to a date with me Friday night. What do ya say, sweetheart?"_

 _A date? Sweetheart?! So, that's his game, huh? That little… mutt! I can feel my face get hot with anger._

 _Hinata's cheeks turn a deep crimson, and she hugs her notebook to herself, "Uh, sorry Kiba-kun, I'm not really interested."_

 _I can hardly contain my smug grin. That bastard got rejected, way to go Hinata!_

 _He groans in frustration, "Eh, fine I guess. At least I tried. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." He says as he walks past us._

 _Hinata exhales and her shoulders slump, "That's the third time this week."_

 _My eyes widen, "You mean that's the third time someone's asked you out?!"_

 _She nods, "First it was Suigetsu Hozuki, then yesterday it was Rock Lee, and today Kiba. I don't know what's up!"_

 _Yikes. Guys are asking Hinata out like this? I don't like this. Why does this bother me so much?_

 _Right, because Hinata is my best friend, and I want to protect her. Yeah, that's right. And if keeping jerky guys away from her will do that, then that's what I should do!_

" _Just tell them to get lost Hinata-chan, none of these guys are good enough for you." I tell her. Maybe that'll deter her from saying yes to any of these creeps._

 _She laughs, "Naruto-kun, you know I could never say it like that, it sounds rude." As she says that, she accidentally drops her notebook on the ground, "Oh, whoops! Hang on a second." She tells me as she bends over to grab her notebook._

 _Then, something weird happens. Like, really weird. Hinata bends down, and my eyes immediately become glued to her backside. I can't look away. Was her ass always so… round? I feel an overwhelming desire to grab it, squeeze it, knead it like dough. What the hell? Why am I thinking like this? Then, she shimmies a bit and under her skirt I see… are those her panties?! Yes, they are. Silky, pink, panties. Before she has a chance to straighten back up, I begin to feel the area between my legs get uncomfortably stiff. What's going on?!_

 _She lifts herself back up, notebook in hand. She takes a deep breath of air, and when she does I can't help but notice how hard the top button on her uniform top is working to keep it closed. Her chest is threatening to pop out any second. Why did I never notice that before? I'm sure she says something, but I can't hear anything other than the thumping of my own heart, and my area is even stiffer now. Holy shit, I can't let her notice!_

" _... Anyway…. N-Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" She questions, I guess seeing the troubled look on my face. I'm sure my skin is beet red by now. I need an excuse. I gotta do something._

" _Uh… um… n-nothing. Hey! I'll see you in class! I gotta go use the bathroom!" I practically shout in her face as I sprint away, not giving her a chance to respond. I run at top speed to the bathroom and throw myself quickly into a stall._

 _My penis is hard, like really hard. This has only happened to me a few times before, but it was never this bad. Jiraiya said it was normal for someone my age, but it's still embarrassing, especially in front of Hinata! I can't believe I just stared at her ass and boobs like that! It's Hinata for crying out loud! Damn it! Am I always going to look at her like that now? Is this how the other guys are looking at her?_

 _Shit. If that's the case, no way in hell can I let them near her. What if she agrees to go out with one of these scumbags? What if one of them tries to take advantage of her? No! No way that can happen!_

 _Ugh, growing up is getting difficult._

 _Okay, now back to the problem at hand, how do I get this thing to go away?_

* * *

 _Eventually, I manage to join the class, earning a scowl from Mr. Umino that promises a lengthy lecture after class. Great._

 _I scan over the heads of other students and catch Hinata's eyes, concern plastered on her face. I give her a simple smile to ease her concerns. No doubt she was confused by my unusually quick departure. Now that I've calmed down, I can actually look her in the eye, although not without feeling my cheeks heat up._

 _I begin to move to my seat, seeing my best friend sitting to the right of my empty desk, ignoring my presence, as usual. At least, that's how it seems. Sasuke always tries to act aloof, pulling the "cool guy" routine, but he's still my best buddy through thick and thin. It is annoying how all the girls seem to drool over him though. What is it with the dark, quiet type that they love so much?_

 _I take my seat and pull my notebook from my backpack, lazily attempting to catch up on the notes that Mr. Umino has written on the board._

 _Unable to help myself, I allow my eyes to trail over to Hinata, who is sitting diagonally to me. I gulp. I wish I hadn't done that. Hinata's top is riding up a bit from her skirt, and I can see her bare waist. Her pale skin looks so soft, so much like porcelain…_

 _I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I can't go there again, that's what got me into trouble in the first place. I force myself to look back down at my paper, ignoring the erotic thoughts that are running through my brain._

 _Mercifully, the bell rings and I shoot up from my seat, stuffing my notebook into my backpack and zipping it up. Before I can start chatting with Sasuke, I feel a tapping on my shoulder. I tilt my head to see who I know is already there._

 _The irritated expression of Mr. Umino is looking at me. I sigh, knowing what is coming next._

" _Naruto, a word please?"_

" _Yeah. Okay. Sasuke, I'll see you later, okay?"_

" _Hn." Comes his usual reply as he walks out the door to his locker. Hinata follows behind him, smiling softly at me before exiting and I feel tingly again._

 _I follow Mr. Umino to his desk and he takes a seat, looking at me sternly. Despite him always being on me, I actually kind of like Mr. Umino. I mean, he's okay for a teacher. He's pretty young. He's tan, has dark brown hair tied up in a high ponytail with a scar on his nose that looks pretty sweet. I asked him once to tell me where he got it, but he just told me it was none of my business. Always the professional._

" _Naruto, why were you late to my class today?"_

 _I flinch. What a loaded question that is._

" _W-well ya see… I can't say…"_

" _Naruto, come on. Tell me."_

" _I-I can't… it's embarrassing." Normally he might not believe me, after all, I've given him reasons not to recently. But as I'm rubbing the back of my head I know that my face is flushed crimson, and there's sweat running down my forehead. Apparently, this is enough for him to let it go._

" _Fine. But still, you were late today. You've been late several times, along with the pranks, and then you're not trying in class. Not to mention a few times you've played hooky from school altogether lately." He states._

 _Here we go again, why is he so obsessed with me? "Mr. Umino, I make C's. How is that bad?"_

 _He folds his fingers in front of his face, the gaze in his eyes serious, "Naruto, it wouldn't be bad if you were trying your best, but you're not. You're smart; and more than capable of making straight A's. I don't get it Naruto, Hinata Hyuga And Sasuke Uchiha are your best friends, and they both are excellent students. Don't you want to be like them?"_

 _Of course I do._

 _But I'm not like them._

" _Mr. Umino, Hinata and Sasuke are different from me. I'm some product of the system being raised by my godfather. I'm hardly worth the trouble, so why not just leave me alone?" I say, the hurt and anger clear in my voice._

" _Stop it Naruto. I care for all of my students, especially you."_

 _I scowl at him, "Why do you care, huh? Why are you so fixated on me?"_

 _His hands drop from his face, and a small smile creeps up onto his mouth, "Naruto, it's probably not appropriate for me to tell you this, but you remind me a lot of myself."_

 _My eyes widen, "What do you mean?"_

" _I was in the system too. My parents were killed in a robbery when I was six, and I was put in foster care. I was treated like garbage for years, moving in and out of different homes, being beaten and neglected, and just seen as a problem child. It was hard, and left some scars, emotionally and physically. However, when I was fifteen, something amazing happened."_

 _I'm listening intently now, I never knew any of this, "What? What happened?"_

 _His smile grows, "Someone rescued me. I was moved to a new foster home, and at first I thought nothing of it, it was nothing special. But then, I noticed that these people were different. My foster parents actually cared. They always made sure I had enough food, made sure I did well in school, gave me a warm bed, and most of all, they kicked my butt when I needed it. Just like I'm doing to you. Because of that, I turned my life around and found my dream. I know that you were rescued too, by Jiraiya. He's been a good parent to you, and I've discussed your behavior with him. He's told me to do what I see fit. I take an interest in you Naruto, because I see myself when I look at you. I want you to succeed. Please, let me help." He pleads with me._

 _What he's saying resonates with me, but I still resist. Lately my self esteem has been really low. My insecure side implores me to push him away. My self worth is in the dumps right now. Maybe it's because when I compare myself to people like Sasuke and Hinata, they just seem way too good for me. Like I'm not worthy of being their friend._

" _Sorry, Mr. Umino, but I need to get to my last class." I reply as I rush out the door, not listening to his response. I'm sure I'm being unreasonable, but for some reason I just don't want to listen to him right now. I'm not Mr. Umino, I'm Naruto. I'm not like him or anyone else._

 _As I round the corner out of the classroom, I feel a soft hand grab my wrist, and I freeze in my tracks._

 _I glance back, and see none other than Hinata. I don't like how she looks right now. She's shaking, her face turned to the floor. As she lifts her face to meet mine, my chest starts to feel tight and uncomfortable. She's crying, fresh tears flowing down her face._

" _You were listening." I say. It's not a question. She was clearly eavesdropping._

" _Naruto-kun, why?"_

 _My brows crinkle in confusion, "Why what?"_

 _Her expression turns angry, "Why don't you think you're worth it?!"_

 _Her grip on me tightens, and damn it all, I've hurt her. Poor Hinata, she suffers because she cares too much, cares for someone like me._

" _Because I'm not. I'm just another charity case people want to fix. But no one cares about the real me."_

" _Bullshit!" She shouts, and my mouth drops open in shock. I've never ever heard her curse like that. She's always so soft and shy. I didn't even know she was capable of speaking like this._

" _I care about you, Sasuke does too! So does Jiraiya, and so does Mr. Umino! You're just afraid to let yourself believe it, because you're afraid of getting hurt!" She shouts at me, squinting her eyes shut as the tears continue to fall. Seeing her like this drives a painful stake into my heart. I hate it. Why does she allow herself to hurt so much over someone like me?_

" _Hinata-chan… I'm just another statistic. So just let me go. We're late for class already."_

" _I don't care!" She yells at me, and I'm thankful that the halls are empty, "Come on, follow me."_

 _My brows shoot up in surprise, "Follow you? Where are we going?"_

 _She drags me along, not saying a word. I have no idea what's going on. This isn't like Hinata, she's not usually so unpredictable, that's up my alley. I feel even more uneasy as she pulls me outside of the school and through the parking lot. Then, I follow her as we climb up the hill behind the school, all the way to the top. She sits down, staying eerily silent. I slowly approach her and take a seat next to her, not saying a word. I'm just waiting for her to speak._

 _She turns to me, eyes blazing with some mysterious emotion._

" _Naruto-kun, what's wrong? What's gotten into you lately?"_

 _I avert my gaze, "Nothing, Hinata-chan."_

" _Don't give me that!" She snaps, "You've been acting out the past several weeks. You've been skipping school and pulling pranks, and now your grades are suffering too. You never used to act like this. What is it? We're not leaving until you tell me."_

 _I can tell by her tone and expression that she's dead serious. I've never seen Hinata so angry at me before. Fuck._

" _It's… it's something that someone said about me a while back." I finally admit. I feel tears prick my eyes and I curse myself for being so damn sensitive._

 _Hinata, as usual, senses what I'm feeling and places a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Who was it? What did they say?"_

 _I close my eyes, reliving the memory of what I overheard well over a month ago. The sting of it is still fresh, and I swallow the lump in my throat so I can speak properly._

" _It was that new teacher, Mr. Mizuki. He was talking to some other teachers before school one day, and I had come early like I always did. There was hardly anyone there, so I guess they assumed that no one would hear them, but I did."_

 _Hinata squeezes my shoulder reassuringly, and I decide to continue, "He was talking about how certain students are just charity cases, and it's a shame that we'll never amount to anything. He was talking about how he's seen it over and over, how students with a poor home life and no parents end up homeless or on drugs, how they never reach their potential. Then, he mentioned me by name, saying that it was nice that people took pity on me, but he was sure that I was destined for the same fate as the others. And the worst part, was everyone else there agreed! I just… Hinata-chan, it made me feel so terrible! Like, what if he's right? Is there even a point in trying?! Am I just some charity case? It made me wonder… do all of the adults think of me like my old foster parents used to? That I'm just a waste of space? A burden? Ugh!" I grab my hair and tug the strands, trying desperately to make sense of my life. That damned teacher's words were like a puncture wound to my heart. It was hard enough to learn to trust adults again after what I went through, and then I get in a good place and this happens. I couldn't help but put another wall up to protect myself. I'll reject them before they can reject me, damn it._

 _Suddenly, I feel two slender arms envelop me and hold me tightly. Hinata holds my body to hers, and I feel an overwhelming, prickly warmth flood my system. My heart thumps so damn hard in my chest I'm sure it's going to burst. Then, she pulls her head back and looks deep into my eyes. As I always have been, I'm mesmerized by pale lavender orbs staring into my own blue ones. There's an unspoken emotion shining in them, leaving me speechless._

" _Naruto-kun, I'm sorry that you heard that. No one should ever have to hear something like that. But Mr. Mizuki doesn't know you. He thinks he does, but he doesn't. I do, and I know you're definitely not just a statistic or a charity case. You're Naruto Uzumaki, someone who keeps pushing himself forward no matter how difficult things get. You're someone who has inspired me to become a stronger person, you're someone who reached out to Sasuke and became his first real friend, and you're someone who Jiraiya turned around his entire life for, just so he could have you in his life. That's not someone who isn't worth it. That's someone special." She states confidently. Her words warm my heart, easing a bit of the pain. But I'm still a bit unsure._

" _But Hinata-chan, how can you be so sure?"_

 _She turns her gaze to the horizon, a wistful look on her face, "Naruto-kun, have I ever told you about my father?"_

 _I think for a second. Come to think of it, I don't know much at all about Hinata's family, except that they own a big chain of banks and her little sister is pretty funny. I've never met her parents._

" _No, I don't know anything about him."_

 _She closes her eyes, as if recalling a memory, "All my life, Father has favored Hanabi over me. My mother died when I was young, so she's not been there to comfort me over it. He has constantly called me a failure, a disappointment, because I haven't been able to live up to his high expectations. When I get older I'm supposed to take over his position, and he keeps telling me that if I don't shape up, I'll make a terrible heiress. He always says I should be more like Hanabi, and just the other day he told me that I was a poor excuse for a Hyuga." She tells me, a twinge of sadness in her tone._

 _My eyes widen, "What?! How could he say that?! Hinata-chan, how come you never told me?!"_

 _She looks back to me and smiles softly, "Because it's not important."_

" _What do you mean?! Of course it is! How do you act like it doesn't bother you, how do you keep moving forward?" I press her._

 _Her smile stretches across her face, "Because of you!"_

" _Huh?"_

 _She giggles, "When we met, I was so inspired by you Naruto-kun. You never let any of the bullies bother you, and you were always strong. Then, I learned what you had been through, and the fact that you were so determined and unwavering was even more impressive. I vowed that I would be more like you, and never give up. I would keep trying to improve myself, to be a stronger person like you. You've been my inspiration Naruto-kun. If I let my Father's perception of me dictate how I behave, and just give up, then I would simply be wasting my potential. It's the same for you, Naruto-kun. You can't let what some dumb teacher thinks of you decide your fate. Only you can do that."_

 _I swear I've forgotten how to breathe. Hinata has left me speechless once again. I inspired her? She's been dealing with so much all this time, yet she is still her own person. She's right! I can't let anyone else decide how I should behave. I decide my own future, no one else!_

 _I take my hand in hers, and squeeze it gently. I meet her gaze, and notice her cheeks are flushed crimson. I really love it when she does that._

" _Hinata-chan, thank you so much. It's all thanks to you staying by my side, encouraging me. If it weren't for you, I would have just given up. But now I see that I can't do that. I have to keep trying my best. I'll prove Mr. Mizuki and everyone else wrong, just wait!" I shout, pumping my fist into the air. My spirit is renewed and I feel determination flood through my body._

" _That's the spirit Naruto-kun!" She laughs and I swear it's better than any beautiful music._

 _Hinata looks so beautiful to me right now, and I'm not sure what's coming over me. I've never really looked at her like this before until today. Her skin looks so soft, so inviting. I imagine her hair feels like silk, I want to run my hands through it. My eyes follow the line of her neck from her hair, noticing how exposed it is, just begging for me to press my mouth to it. I start to feel that sensation in between my legs again. Uh oh…_

 _I can't stop looking at her though. As my eyes go lower, I realize that from this angle I have a good view of not only her collarbone, but the beginnings of her cleavage, just poking out enough to tease my wandering eyes. Damn it all, why am I thinking like Jiraiya? Is his perviness rubbing off on me?!_

" _Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" She asks me, although I can barely hear her. I'm partially aware that maybe she's caught my eyes roaming her body, but I don't care as much as I should. Wow. I really am becoming a perv. And I'm not even a teenager yet! Fuck!_

 _My eyes fall on her lips. Full, pouty, pink lips coated in cherry chapstick that she always has on her. I subconsciously wonder it tastes like, and before I even realize what I'm doing, I start to lean forward towards her, lowering my face to hers._

" _N-Naruto-kun, what are you…" She's cut off as I close the distance between us, pressing my lips to hers._

 _My first kiss._

* * *

 **Yeah I know, the hints were totally vague, but that's the point! I promise, I won't leave you guys hanging forever, but I like the bit of mystery in the story. You'll figure it out soon enough!**

 **Now that I'm back, expect the updates for my stories to continue on like had been before.**

 **See you next chapter (Which is already up)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**On to chapter 4! We're back with Hinata's POV.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

Today is the day. My first day of classes. I'm so nervous I can feel my heart racing at an alarming pace. Am I having a heart attack? Probably not, but I feel like I could be forgiven for thinking that.

I know I should try to relax, but I can't. I'm twenty three years old and I'm just now starting college. Better late than never right? But I haven't been in school in five years, that's a long time! What if getting back into the routine of being a student is too much of a challenge for me?

Just as I think that, I remember something a certain someone said to me.

' _if you ever need help with anything I'll be here for you.'_

That's right, Naruto believes in me and has my back. I can do this. I know I can.

With renewed assurance, I make my way across the quad to my first class. I don't have too many classes in my major this semester, since I'm only a freshman. I have too many silly elective classes to get out of the way first. However, my first class is the one class that I have in my major this semester, so I'm eager to get there. It's a child psychology class, and the instructor just so happens to be the head of the department: Dr. Kurenai Yuhi. I just have to make a good impression on her.

I walk up the stairs to the second floor of the building, following the line of foot traffic to the door of my classroom. Room 204. This is it.

I take a deep breath, and walk through the door into my first college course. This isn't so intimidating. It looks like I'm early, most people aren't here yet. The professor isn't here yet either. Okay, I feel a bit less pressure. I scan around the room and decide to be bold, taking a seat in the front of the class. Maybe I'm insane for doing this, but I want to get Dr. Yuhi to notice me, and to get off to a good start in school. If I impress her, maybe she'll write a letter of recommendation for me somewhere down the line.

I take my seat and remove my purple winter coat and scarf, grateful that the classroom is nice and toasty in contrast to the chilly winter air outside. I hate the cold, and I hate winter. Even though my birthday is in the winter. It's just so uncomfortable!

I take out my notebook and pencil, readying myself for class. I still have an extra five minutes, so to pass the time I pull out my phone. An idea pops into my brain, and I decide to check my gmail. Maybe I should wait until after class, but my better sense is overridden at the moment.

I open the app and immediately I see an email from Naruto. My heart flutters.

 _Lavender,_

 _Good Morning! I know today is your first day of classes. It's mine also! Now that I think about it, it's kind of a coincidence that you, me, and Sakura-chan are all starting in the winter. Weird! Anyway, I just wanted to say good luck. I know you'll kick ass! I can't wait for Friday :)_

 _\- Whiskers_

I can't ignore the butterflies flitting around in my stomach. I can't believe how considerate Naruto is towards me, even after all this time. I type a quick reply before class begins.

 _Whiskers,_

 _Thank you so much. It means a lot. And good luck to you too. I know that you're on the track to becoming an amazing lawyer. I have to go now, class is about to start._

 _P.S. I can't wait either :)_

 _\- Lavender_

I put my phone in my backpack as Dr. Yuhi walks in. She's gorgeous, and younger than I expected her to be. She looks to be in her early thirties, wavy black hair, pale skin, and very unusual red eyes. Although, I suppose I shouldn't be one to talk about unusual eyes. She's wearing a long sleeved red blouse and a knee length black skirt with black flats. She's stunning, honestly.

She sets her bag on her desk, and turns on the projector in the front of the classroom. As it comes on, I can begin to make out the words _Psychology 205: Adolescent Psychology._

It's just the beginning of my advancement towards my degree in social work, and with Naruto's encouragement I'm more than ready to get started.

Dr. Yuhi walks up to the podium in front of the class and and begins to speak.

"Good Morning class. Welcome to Adolescent Psychology. My name is Kurenai Yuhi and I'll be your instructor for this class. Today will just be a simple review of the syllabus and my expectations for you all in this class. I will display the syllabus on the projector as I explain. If, at the end, you have any questions please raise your hand and I will call on you." She announces with a firm tone.

Dr. Yuhi flips through the syllabus, explaining what we will be covering in the class, how grading will work, and how to turn in assignments online. So far, it doesn't seem like it will be too complicated. I'm really listening intently to Dr. Yuhi. She's speaks so confidently, her presence alone demands respect. And yet she reiterated multiple times that she welcomes students seeing her during office hours if they need help. I think I'm really going to like her.

Soon enough, the class is over and Dr. Yuhi dismisses us. She reminds us that we should go ahead and read chapter one of our textbooks before the next class. I make a mental note to write that down when I get back to my apartment. Before I exit the classroom, I feel someone tap my shoulder.

I turn to see none other than Dr. Yuhi, facing me with a warm smile. It's so inviting that I smile back at her, although I'm curious as to why she's approached me.

"You're Hinata Hyuga, correct?"

I nod.

"Great, do you mind staying behind to chat with me for a few minutes?" She asks me.

"Oh! Um sure!" I jump at the opportunity. I'm not sure why she wants to speak with me, but I had been wanting to make a good impression. Now I have a chance.

We walk over to a couple of desks in the classroom and take a seat. She smiles at me again, a sort of warm, motherly smile.

"Now, Ms. Hyuga, I realize that you're only now starting college after graduating high school five years ago, correct?"

I feel my heart begin to race again. I'm surprised she took the time to get to know that about me.

"Yes Ma'am, I had to save up enough money to be able to support myself first." I reply.

"I see. Well, Ms. Hyuga, I myself didn't begin college right away. I took a few years off after high school before I began. I found the adjustment to be quite strenuous after so much time off, but rest assured it can be done. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need help in any way with your academics, or just adjusting to school again, my office location and office hours are in the syllabus. Feel free to stop by." She offers.

I'm stunned by her offer. I officially love this teacher already. It's clear she really cares for her students, and she's taking extra time to make sure I succeed. That really means a lot to me.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Yuhi. I will be sure to stop by!"

She chuckles, "Very good! That's all I needed. I have a meeting to get to now, but I will see you soon!" She rises from the desk and walks out of the classroom, leaving me alone.

I grab my phone out of my backpack to check the time. 9:00. Okay, my next class isn't until 11:00, so I have some time to kill. Maybe I'll go check out that little cafe Naruto was telling me about. I haven't had breakfast yet, and a warm, gooey cinnamon roll sounds delightful!

I shrug my jacket back on and wrap my scarf tightly around my neck, bracing myself for the uncomfortable frigid air outside. Maybe I'll get some hot tea to go along with my cinnamon roll. Yum! I'm really starting to feel hungry now.

As I march through campus outside, making my way into town, I pull my phone back out. I pull up the gmail app, and giggle as I see that I already have another email from Naruto.

 _Lavender,_

 _I'm hoping that class went well. I mean, I know the first week is just syllabus week and there's no pressure, but I'm sure it's still exciting for you, ya know! You'll have to tell me about your professor! I want to hear all about it._

 _\- Whiskers_

Even through the frosty air, I feel an overwhelming warmth wash over me. Naruto may have been through hell and back, but at his core he's still the same old Naruto. He's so considerate and such a wonderful listener. He always has been. It's not a mystery how I fell for him so quickly when we were children.

 _Whiskers,_

 _Well since you're sooo eager to know (lol), my first class couldn't have been any better. Dr. Yuhi is awesome. She actually tracked me down after class and encouraged me to seek her out if I ever needed help. She's so nice! I think I'm really going to like her class. What about your day? How is it going?_

 _\- Lavender_

I follow the address I found on google maps for the cafe, and finally I see the cute looking building across the street. It looks so inviting, and I bet it's nice and toasty inside. I shiver in response to the bitter cold. The light for the crosswalk changes, and I immediately dart across to reach the shop. I run inside, and sigh in relief as I feel my frozen face thawing.

The inside of the cafe is adorable. The walls are pink with paintings of suns and flowers everywhere. The waitresses all have on bright yellow skirts and pink tops with a white apron. This place seems kind of girly, I'm surprised Naruto frequents this place. Then again, it's entirely possible that Sakura was the one that brought he and Sasuke here. Seeing how much she loves pink, it seems plausible.

I inhale deeply through my nose, and my mouth instantly waters at the enticing aroma floating through the air. Cinnamon rolls, no doubt. I rush to get in line, my stomach growling in response to my intense hunger.

I pull out my phone again while waiting, to see that Naruto has replied once again.

 _Lavender,_

 _I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that your class went good, ya know? It seems like Dr. Yuhi is a really caring professor. You should treasure her, not all professors will be so nice. Definitely visit her in her office! It helps you understand the class and it makes a good impression._

 _As for my day, my class is actually starting in a few minutes, so I have to say goodbye for now. But, I'll tell you about it when I have some free time._

 _Bye, Bunny._

 _\- Whiskers_

Butterflies fly around wildly in my stomach at his use of "bunny" a second time. I simply adore it. I sigh in contentment before typing a quick reply.

 _Have a great day Naru :)_

 _\- Lavender_

Perhaps I'm breaking the rules of our little email game by not calling him "whiskers" but I wanted to whip out another nickname too. Hopefully it affects him just like he affects me.

I finally make it to the front of the line and order one cinnamon roll and a hot black tea. I hand the cashier my money and wait momentarily before I'm given my sweet treat. I lick my lips in anticipation of my yummy breakfast. Then, I find a seat next to the window, secluded enough for one person.

I take a small bite of my cinnamon roll, and I have to stifle an embarrassing moan at how delicious it is. Naruto was right, the cinnamon rolls here are awesome! I lick the frosting from my lips before sipping my tea, and diving back in.

My eyes scan over the decorations in the cafe and I begin to think about the irony. Naruto really likes a place called the Sunshine Cafe. I find it funny because Naruto has always reminded me of the sun. Not only because of his bright golden locks, but because of his sunny disposition and warm presence. Being with him is like bathing in the sun's bright rays. It's always summer with him. He's been like that as long as I've known him.

So it was more than troubling when Sasuke said he had become cold. Naruto? Cold? Those two words simply don't belong together, I can't fathom it. He certainly hasn't sounded cold in his emails, then again that's different than speaking in person, and Sasuke said he showed emotions when he spoke about me. I feel a sharp pain in my chest thinking about bright, sunny Naruto becoming cold and detached.

Especially because I know it's my fault. I did it to him, left him all alone after what happened. I was selfish. Yes, being near him hurt me because it reminded me of that day, but he was hurting too. I knew that, but I let my depression do the thinking for me. I was wrong, so wrong. I still have so many things to work through, but if I can, damn it I'm going to help him. I have to.

Because when it's all said and done, even after I've left him and we've been apart for four years, I still love him. There's no denying it. Yes, seeing his face brings back some painful memories, but it doesn't change the fact that I truly love him. I always have, ever since we were children.

I still remember the first time he kissed me. My lips tingle pleasantly at the memory alone. I became desperate to be with him after that. Just being friends with him wasn't enough. But I was so shy, afraid of rejection, so I waited for him to make the next move.

And boy did he take his time doing it!

* * *

 _It's been a little over a year since Naruto and I kissed behind the school that day. I can still feel the sensation of his soft, warm lips pressing against mine. I'm not sure what came over Naruto that day, but I didn't mind. I thought for sure he would ask me out after that._

 _But it never happened. Immediately after the kiss, Naruto had jolted up, apologized profusely to me, and sprinted down the hill and back into the school building, not giving me a chance to get one word in. I was left completely stunned. My crush and best friend just kissed me, then he ran off before we could even talk._

 _Then, for a few days Naruto was awkward around me. He avoided eye contact, stuttered a bit, and never once mentioned the kiss at all. At first, I was hurt. Did Naruto think it was a mistake? Did he not like me that way?_

 _After a few days I decided to try to let it go. Naruto had a lot of things going on, and I didn't want to make it worse. If Naruto wanted to be with me, he would tell me. If not, then we could still be best friends._

 _It became clear over time that Naruto just wanted to stay friends. He made no attempt to ask me out, so I took it as a rejection and decided to just be his friend. Things slowly went back to normal. It was like the kiss never even happened, even though I had never forgotten it. At least I knew that Naruto didn't want me as a girlfriend, and I could at least try to move on._

 _But that's easier said than done. We're in junior high now, and I still have a strong crush on Naruto. My feelings haven't changed. I wish they would. I wish I could do something about the violent thrashing of my heart when he smiles at me, or my furious blushing when he compliments me, but I can't. I suppose I'm just a hopeless fool._

 _Today starts the same as any other day. I arrive to school early, putting my book bag in my locker and getting my materials ready for my first class, History with Mr. Gekko. I also have this class with both Naruto and Sasuke, to my delight. However, I always meet up with them to chat before class anyway._

 _Once I get my book and notebook, I begin to walk towards Naruto's locker, seeing that he has just arrived. Since that day last year, Naruto turned things back around. He's become an excellent student, not letting anyone's depiction of him change who he is. I'm really proud of him._

" _Good Morning Naruto-kun!" I greet him as I approach his locker._

 _He pokes his whiskered face out and grins at me from ear to ear. Right on cue, my heart begins to race._

" _Good Morning Hinata-chan! How's it hanging?"_

 _I giggle, "I-I'm good Naruto-kun. Are you ready for the test today in Mr. Gekko's class?"_

 _He grabs his textbook and slams his locker shut, his smile never fading, "You bet! History is easy, too! I'll nail it!" He boasts, causing me to giggle again. There's something about Naruto's confident personality that's so endearing to me._

" _Jeez, do you have to be so obnoxious so early in the morning?" A voice behind us groans._

 _The third member of our little group trudges over, emotionless as always. It's amazing to me how although Naruto and Sasuke are so different, they're best friends._

 _Naruto sticks his tongue out, "Shut up Sasuke! Hinata-chan likes my upbeat personality, right Hinata-chan?"_

 _Sasuke scoffs, "Tch. That's only because Hinata doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She's way too nice. Me? Not so much. Loser." He says with a slight smirk._

" _Whatever! Come on guys, let's get to class."_

 _With that, the three of us walk to class together as usual. Naruto and Sasuke are bantering back and forth, and I'm just laughing and adding some input here and there. Same as every day._

* * *

 _However, there was something different about today after all._

" _Ha! Told ya I would nail that test! No sweat!"_

 _Naruto brags_

 _I chuckle, "Naruto-kun, we don't even know what the scores are yet, don't get so overconfident."_

 _He flashes that foxy grin of his, "Oh come on Hinata-chan, I know I did well! We all did, of course."_

 _Sasuke groans, "Again, who told you to be so upbeat in the mornings? It's a pain."_

 _We begin to make our way to our next class, when I realize I need to get another textbook from my locker._

" _Oh guys! I still need to stop by my locker. I'll see you in math!"_

" _See you then." Says Sasuke as he turns to walk to class._

" _Okay Hinata-chan, see you in class!" Shouts Naruto as he runs off._

 _I absolutely hate how his smile and demeanor makes my chest feel warm and tingly. Why can't I just get over him?!_

 _I walk to my locker to get my book, when all of a sudden I feel a presence next to me. I turn to my left to see none other than Suigetsu Hozuki grinning at me. He's somewhat handsome, with his silver hair that comes down to his chin, and sparkling violet eyes, but his weirdly sharp teeth are a bit unsettling. However, he's pretty popular with the girls._

" _O-oh, Hello there Suigetsu-kun." I greet him._

 _He grins and shows me his weird looking shark-like teeth, "Good morning Hinata-chan. You're looking cute today, as always of course."_

 _I blush a bit. Not because I like Suigetsu, but because I'm just a bit embarrassed._

" _Thank you."_

" _You're welcome, gorgeous. Look, I'll get right to it. You know about the Spring Dance coming up this Friday, right?" He asks me._

 _I nod._

" _Well, if you didn't already have a date, I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. How about it, beautiful?" He questions me._

 _My blush deepens. What should I say? My initial reaction is no. But, why? Because of my crush on Naruto? It's clear he doesn't have that kind of interest in me. He thought the kiss was a mistake._

 _That's right, I'm done holding out hope that maybe he'll return my feelings when it's clearly hopeless. No, I don't like Suigetsu like that, but maybe I could learn to. He's nice, why shouldn't I give him a chance?_

 _I look up at him with a shy smile. Right, I'll do it._

" _Thank you, I'd love to go with you."_

 _His smile widens, "Great! I'll pick you up at 5! See you then!"_

 _Then, he does something that completely shocks me. He leans down and brushes his lips against my cheek. I nearly jump, but manage to remain calm. Then, he walks off, I assume to class._

 _Suigetsu kissed me on the cheek. I felt nothing. No sparks, no warmth, nothing. It felt nice, but when Naruto kissed my lips, it felt like my entire body was on fire, lightning shooting from my nerve endings. Why can't I feel the same way about another boy? This is all quite irritating._

 _I sigh, hoping that things will change. It would be amazing for Naruto to return my feelings, but I just have to face reality. Naruto only sees me as a friend, and I'm fooling myself thinking he will change his mind. I should try my best to move on, and maybe going to the dance with Suigetsu will help me to do that._

 _I close my locker, textbook in hand, and jog to class, trying not to be late._

* * *

 _So, Math class was really weird today._

 _I sit in the front of the middle row. Naruto sits behind me, and Sasuke behind him. It's been like that all year. Occasionally when Mr. Kato isn't looking, I'll usually turn around and chat a bit with Naruto. So, like every day when we were working independently in class, I turned to Naruto to talk to him._

 _What I saw had me completely unnerved._

 _Naruto looked up to me, and his eyes looked so sad. Quite honestly, he looked like he was about to cry. And worse than that, there was something else when he looked at me. Was that… anger? Was he angry at me? What did I do?_

 _I was terribly confused, and concerned. So I asked him what was wrong._

 _His response sent a fresh wave of pain into my chest._

" _Why the hell do you care, huh? Look, I need to get some work done. Please just don't talk to me right now."_

 _I was shocked. Naruto had never spoken to me like that before. He was so cold and uncaring. I've never ever seen him like that. Maybe that one time with Mr. Umino, but even then it wasn't that bad. The look in his eyes…_

 _It was like he hated me._

 _But it doesn't make any sense! I haven't done anything to hurt him or upset him. Nothing at all! He has no right to treat me like this._

 _So here I am, standing outside of the cafeteria waiting for him to walk in. I want to catch him so we can go somewhere and talk. I want to know what's upsetting him. Is it something I did, or something else? I need to know. It's eating away at me to know he's hurting about something._

 _Fifteen minutes pass by, and still Naruto hasn't come to lunch yet. Okay, now I'm nervous. Maybe Sasuke has seen him. Although something tells me that's not the case. I run into the cafeteria and locate him, before tapping him on the shoulder._

 _He shifts his gaze up to me, "There you are. Where's Naruto? I thought you guys would be coming straight here after class?"_

 _So I was right. Sasuke hasn't seen him either._

" _You don't know where he is Sasuke-kun?"_

 _His eyes widen, "No, I figured he was with you. He seemed a bit off in class today though."_

 _So Sasuke noticed it too, "Yes, I know. He seemed very upset. Listen, I'm going to go looking for him. Please keep an eye out, okay?"_

" _Hn."_

 _I jog back into the hallway, trying to think where he might be. Think, Hinata, where does Naruto go to hang out or be alone?_

 _The first place that pops into my brain is the computer lab. Sometimes the three of us sneak into there during lunch to watch a movie on one of the computers while we eat. We haven't done it in a while, seeing as how we were caught last time by a teacher, but maybe he decided to go without us._

 _I run up the stairs and into the computer lab. The lights are off and the room is empty. I let out an uncharacteristic curse under my breath. He's not here._

 _Okay… where else? Maybe the gym! I know sometimes if there's not a class going on, he and Sasuke will go shoot basketball. Okay, I'll try that next._

 _Again, it's pointless. There's no class going on, but Naruto isn't there. Another dead end._

 _Think, Hinata, think._

 _I hear the bell ring, signaling that it's time for class. Maybe he'll come back for class! Okay, I know Naruto has to go to his locker before our Science class, so I'll just go wait by his locker! Thankfully I'm already close by._

 _I stand there and wait._

 _And wait._

 _And wait._

 _Nothing. The bell rings to signal the start of class, and Naruto is nowhere to be seen. I'm really worried now. What happened to him?_

 _It's almost like he's not even in the building! Like he-_

 _Wait._

 _I have one more place to check._

 _I know I shouldn't be skipping class, but I can't be made to care at the moment._

 _I sprint to the front entrance, and push the door open._

* * *

 _I finally made it. The hill behind the middle school. The buildings are right next to each other, so it's pretty convenient for me at the moment. When I finally reach the top, I'm exhausted, sweating and sucking air into my aching lungs, but it's worth it._

 _He's here._

 _I can't believe he came here. We haven't been up here since… since he kissed me._

 _He hasn't noticed me yet, or has chosen to ignore me. I'm not sure which. Either way, Naruto doesn't look good. He's sitting down, his knees pulled into himself, and he's holding his head, as if trying to make sense of something. He's shaking lightly, as if he's holding in something. I don't understand, he was fine just this morning!_

" _Naruto-kun."_

 _Naruto turns his face to me, and now I'm wishing I hadn't come up here at all._

 _I can see tears welling up in his eyes, but he's forcing himself to keep them from spilling. That look on his face… it just doesn't fit him at all. Naruto is always happy, jovial, cheerful. Even when he's been upset, it was never like this. And what's worse, the anger I can see from him is clearly being directed at me. I don't get it!_

" _What do you want?" I flinch at the harshness of his tone._

" _Please tell me what's wrong. Something is bothering you."_

" _Really? What gave me away?" He asks me sarcastically, picking up a rock and tossing it into the distance, "Shouldn't you be in class?"_

" _I could ask you the same thing." I counter._

 _He furrows his brows, "Look, I'm not really in the mood to talk, Hinata. So you should just go back to school and leave me be."_

 _I feel a twinge of pain when he doesn't use the honorific with my name as usual, but I try to brush it off._

" _Naruto-kun, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong with you." I tell him._

 _He chuckles, but clearly nothing is funny about this, "There's nothing wrong with me at all. I'm just peachy. So you can just sit here forever."_

 _Jeez. He's being so rude. Every harsh comment hurts me in ways I can't comprehend, and it's threatening to bring tears to my eyes._

" _W-whatever I-I did… I'm s-sorry…" I force out, internally cursing my stuttering. I'm just getting too worked up now._

 _He looks away from me, "Hinata, just forget it, okay? Stop acting like you care."_

 _That does it. Here come the tears. I can feel them escape from my eyes and run down my face. I'm shaking now. I don't care why he's mad anymore. He has no right to speak to me this way!_

" _Naruto-kun, I must have you mistaken for someone else b-because, I thought you were s-someone who would never hurt me!" I shout as I pick up a rock and throw it at him, causing his eyes to widen and him to duck trying to dodge it. My crying becomes stronger as I turn to walk away._

" _Wait! Hinata-chan! I'm sorry! Fuck!" He yells out to me. I should keep walking, but I stop dead in my tracks. I hate this._

 _He takes my hand in his, and I turn to meet his gaze. He winces, I suppose because I'm crying. Good. He should feel bad._

" _Hinata-chan, look, I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, not at all. I'm just taking my anger out on you and that's not right. You don't deserve that, I'm sorry." He says, sadness filling his eyes once again._

" _Naruto-kun, please, tell me what's wrong."_

 _His eyes fall to the ground, "I- I'm sorry. I just can't tell you. I can't. But… you can stay here if you want. We can talk or something. Please, don't go."_

 _I contemplate for a moment. I want to beg him to tell me, but that would only upset him more probably. I could storm off, but I honestly don't want to. I want to stay right here. My Father will surely hear about this and punish me, but I'm skipping class today._

 _I remove my hand from his and wipe my eyes, drying my tears, "Okay, Naruto-kun, I'll stay. You don't have to tell me."_

 _He smiles softly, "Thank you."_

 _So there we sit, just staring at the horizon. We talk a little bit about school, sporting events, Sasuke, and a few other things. We sit there talking until school is over. When that time comes, I rise to my feet, preparing to leave._

" _Are you coming Naruto-kun?" I ask him._

 _He waves me off, "Nah, you go ahead. The pervy old man won't be happy with me, but I'm gonna hang up here a little while longer."_

 _I smile at him, "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun."_

 _He waves, "Yeah, see ya."_

 _I don't know what's going on with him, and I wish I could stay and talk with him longer, but I have to go and pick up Hanabi from the elementary school down the street so we can go home. I just hope he feels better tomorrow._

 _And now, the only thing worse than Naruto's new weird depression is my feelings. Sitting with Naruto on the hillside only strengthened my feelings for him. My heart is crying out for him. I really want to be with him. But I know he only saw that whole thing as a friend comforting him. That's all I'll ever be to him. I try to ignore the sharp stabbing feeling in my chest as I think about it. I can't stand these feelings, I wish they were gone!_

 _Now I know I made the right choice to go to the dance with Suigetsu. If I can make myself focus on another boy, maybe my feelings for Naruto will start to fade. I can only hope so. I can only take so much heartbreak._

* * *

 _ **Author's Note!**_

 **You guys may have noticed that the flashbacks take up more of the chapters than the present time of the story. That will continue until the flashbacks catch up with the present, and then the last several chapters won't have any flashbacks at all.**

 **Again, thank you guys for being patient with me. As you know if you read the author's note that I posted, there's been a lot of craziness going on in my family, but things are getting better now thankfully. I should be able to update regularly now.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again!**

 **Here's chapter 5. Won't be a ton of hints in this one, but there will be a few more obvious ones next chapter. But TONS of cute moments. I had fun writing this chapter.**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

I shoot out of bed like a cannonball as soon as I hear the blaring of my alarm this morning. I immediately run into the bathroom, stripping my pajamas as I go. Then, I hop into the shower and scrub myself vigorously, trying to wake myself up for the impending day ahead.

Now, by no means am I a morning person, far from it. I usually hit snooze at least three or four times before I fall out of bed and sluggishly head to the bathroom. So, what's different about today?

Simple, I get to see Hinata today.

It's Friday, which means the end of the week is here and I get to meet with the love of my life at Ichiraku for dinner. There's a good chance that not a word will be spoken between us, but I don't care. Just being able to bask in her presence is enough.

It's been a long time since I've felt like this, or felt anything really. When Hinata left me, and then a couple of weeks later Jiraiya passed, I truly thought my life was over. Even though I begrudgingly continued to physically live, I still was convinced that all the good was gone, and that my spirit had died off for good. My heart felt icy cold, gripped by heartbreak and soul-crushing loss. Not only did I not want to feel, but I couldn't. It was like my heart and soul just wouldn't let me. I was just going through the motions, just getting by with my empty life.

But the second my eyes locked with Hinata's at Sakura's apartment that night, everything changed. It was like the floodgates opened, and all the years of backed up emotions poured into me all at once. Love, elation, guilt, heartache, sadness, anguish, and everything in between.

And when she sent that first email… damn. My heart fluttered in a way that I hadn't felt since I was nineteen years old. Intense warmth flooded my chest, and my skin felt tingly. Those feelings had been foreign to me for so long, and just reading an email from her had my mind and heart all over the damn place. I feel like I'm in high school again.

All I want to do now is get through my class and get some work done for Dr. Sarutobi so I can rush back here to get ready for tonight. I can't stop grinning like a fucking moron, but I can't be made to care. I haven't felt the desire to smile like this in years, so I'm certainly not going to fight it.

I get out of the shower and dry myself off quickly, eagerly running out of the bathroom to find my usual outfit. As I slip on my same old orange jacket, a thought occurs to me.

' _What the hell am I going to wear tonight?'_

Not once in four years have I given a single thought as to what I would wear. I wear the same thing every day: jeans, a black t-shirt, and my orange jacket with a pair of sneakers. Occasionally I change it up and wear a white t-shirt instead. That's the extent of my variety. It's a daily thing. Now I'm seeing Hinata and I realize I actually want to look nice.

Yikes. Guess I'll have to shop a little bit before tonight. Guess I better text Sakura. Damn.

I finish getting dressed and grab a protein bar for breakfast as I rush out the door, noticing that the temperature has risen slightly. This is good news since Hinata and I will be out tonight. Thank you universe!

As I walk towards campus, I quickly whip out my cell phone to text Sakura.

 _To: Pinky_

 _Hey Sakura! I need your help with something!_

I groan inwardly as I send the text. I hate shopping, and I hate it even more with Sakura. When she's dragged Sasuke and I shopping in the past, it's been like pulling teeth to get her to leave the store. She always spends the entire time throwing clothes at us to try on with no reprieve. It's exhausting, and yet I can't deny that she has great taste.

My phone buzzes, and I glance at it to see that Sakura has replied.

 _From: Pinky_

 _Let me guess, you need something to wear out tonight with Hinata-chan?_

How the hell did she know that? That girl is way too nosy.

 _To: Pinky_

 _How did you know that Sakura? Wtf_

I sigh, I guess I should have expected she would know. She's probably been hounding both Sasuke and Hinata for information, being as much of a gossip as she is.

My phone buzzes again, and I open the text.

 _From: Pinky_

 _I always try to stay in the loop Naruto! You know that! Anyway, I'm always happy to help. Lord knows I can't let you go out in that pathetic "outfit" you wear every day. Meet me at Sunshine Cafe after you're done with Dr. Sarutobi. We'll grab a cup of coffee, then head out to the shops. Don't worry, I won't keep you long. I know you'll want to head home and get ready. See you then!_

I grin as I read over her message. Good old Sakura, reliable as ever. She can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she always has my back.

I scroll over on my phone screen and open up the gmail app, hoping to have a quick conversation with my Hinata before class. To my sheer delight, she's already sent me a message this morning.

 _Whiskers,_

 _Good morning! How are you?_

 _\- Lavender_

The most simple message, yet it sets my spirit free. I truly love her.

 _Lavender,_

 _I'm great! Heading off to class before doing some work for Dr. Sarutobi for my fellowship. I'm really looking forward to seeing you tonight bunny :)_

 _\- Whiskers_

I only hope that me calling her bunny has the desired effect. I know she used to blush crimson every time I called her that in high school. I know she loves it.

 _PING!_

 _Whiskers,_

 _I am too. I only have a couple of classes this morning, then I'll head home for a nice bubble bath. It'll be good to see you again. And enjoy a steaming bowl of ramen of course!_

 _\- Lavender_

I'm having issues forcing back the image of a naked Hinata in a hot bubble bath but I force myself to, not wanting to go to class sporting a hard on.

As I see the building for my class come into view, I decide to type a quick reply before I head inside.

 _Lavender,_

 _Just when I thought you couldn't get more perfect, you go and start loving ramen. That's just no fair Hina. Anyway, it's time for class, so I'll see you tonight!_

 _\- Whiskers_

I put my phone in my pocket and rush inside, eager to get class over with and get some work done for Dr. Sarutobi so I can find a nice outfit for Hinata tonight. Wait, am I actually looking forward to shopping? Wow.

* * *

"Sakura, come on! There's no way that'll look good!" I complain loudly like a child.

She taps her foot impatiently at me, "Naruto, come on! I know fashion! Trust me, this will look great with your eyes! Besides, we've been here long enough and you need to get back home and get ready so just try it on!"

I sigh, feeling irritated but I give in and grab the clothes from her before heading back into the changing room. Sakura handed me a pair of really nice dark wash jeans, a sky blue button down shirt, and a nice black coat to go with it. It's certainly a far cry from what I normally wear, no orange at all! But I try it anyway. Who knows, maybe I'll like it.

I shrug the final piece of the ensemble on and I check myself out in the mirror. To my surprise, I actually look pretty damn good. And Sakura was right, the shirt brings out my eyes. Leave it to her.

"What do you think, Naruto?" I hear Sakura ask from outside.

"Well, I like it. I just wish there was some orange on it somewhere, ya know?" I admit.

I hear an exasperated groan from her before I hear her walking off. Before I can ask where she's going, she comes right back before knocking on the door. I open it up, to see her holding out something to me.

It's a watch. Nothing too special about it, except the band is orange. I grin.

"I'll take it!"

Sakura giggles, "Great! That outfit really does look great on you! Now come on! Change out of it so we can buy it and you can get ready for tonight!"

"Right!"

As I change back into my clothes and begin to check out, I quickly pull out my phone to send Hinata a quick email.

 _Lavender,_

 _Alright, I gotta know. What are the rules for tonight? Please be honest._

 _\- Whiskers_

Above all else, I just hope I'll actually get to hear her voice tonight.

 _PING!_

 _Whiskers,_

 _Okay, I've made a decision. I think I'd like for us to be able to talk a little bit, but please keep it light hearted, nothing serious. If you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it if you don't look up from your bowl. I think that's a good place to start._

 _Are you okay with that?_

 _\- Lavender_

There she goes again, always trying not to step on my toes.

I hand the cashier my credit card and pay for the clothes, cringing when the amount pops up. Okay, it's more than I wanted to spend, but if Hinata likes the outfit then it'll totally be worth it.

Sakura and I exit the shop, parting ways when we make it outside. I thank her and she wishes me good luck before waving bye to me.

With my new clothes in hand, I begin to jog towards my apartment, pulling my phone back out to send a reply to Hinata.

 _Lavender,_

 _Of course it's okay. I understand. I can't wait to hear your voice. And talk to you. It's okay if I can only stare at ramen, it's nice to look at too!_

 _I'm going to go home and get ready now. I'll meet you at Ichiraku! See you soon!_

 _\- Whiskers_

"See you soon." I repeat out loud, loving the sound of the words escaping my lips.

* * *

I make my way towards the ramen stand, more grateful than ever that the temperature has warmed up a bit. It's a brisk fifty degrees, not warm, but bearable to be outside. As the stand comes into sight, I feel my heart thrashing violently against my chest. This is it. My hands begin to shake and my skin is a little clammy.

' _Come on Naruto, get it together! This is Hinata! You've always been able to talk to her!'_

Of course, that was before _it_ happened…

Before we lost everything.

No! I can't think about that right now. I'm happy! I get to spend time with Hinata. She actually wants to see me! I grin widely when that thought comes to my mind.

I take a seat at the bar, noticing that Hinata isn't here yet. I'm not worried however, considering I showed up about ten minutes early. To say I was a bit eager would be an understatement.

Suddenly, I'm brought out of my thoughts by a booming, cheerful voice.

"Welcome to Ichiraku! The best ramen in the city! What can I get for ya?" Shouted a rather large man with a chef's hat on. He wore an apron over his white t-shirt, to go with his giant smile. I'm not sure why, but I like this guy already. I smile back at him.

"Thanks old man, but I'm not ready to order just yet. I'm waiting on someone." I reply.

"It wouldn't happen to be that young lady over there, would it?" He asks, pointing behind me.

I follow his gaze, and catch a glimpse of her before turning away, keeping her rules in mind.

But a glimpse was all I needed.

Hinata looked absolutely breathtaking, as always.

Her long midnight hair was braided to the side, cascading down her shoulder and chest. Her lips were colored just a bit, hinting that she was wearing a little bit of makeup. She wore a lavender cardigan, a white blouse underneath, and a dark purple flowy skirt that reached just above her knees. Underneath that she wore a pair of black leggings and a pair of ugg boots.

When I turned back around I coughed, knowing my face must me red as a tomato.

"Er, um, yeah th-that's her." I force out, trying to calm my erratic heart.

The old man laughs and pats my shoulder, "Well, good for you! She's a real looker kid! Anyway, I'll give you two a minute and I'll be back for your orders!" He announces before returning to the kitchen.

Then, I feel her presence next to me. I don't look up from the bar, not daring to possibly upset her. However, out of the corner of my eye I can see the pink dusting her cheeks, and the silkiness of her hair. Damn, she's beautiful. The unique scent of lavender and vanilla invades my senses, making me feel dizzy. How I've missed that scent.

"Hi." I say, testing the waters, still not looking up.

"H-hi." She stutters. She's nervous too. Well, that makes me feel a little bit better.

"I'm glad you're here." I say to her, unsure of what to talk about.

"M-me too. I like your outfit. I saw it when I was walking up here. Although it doesn't really look like something you'd wear." She says.

I chuckle. Even after she hasn't seen me in years, she still knows me well enough to know I don't dress up like this.

"Guilty. Sakura picked it out for me earlier. I-I'm glad you like it." I reply.

She giggles, and I feel my cheeks burn. That's the most wonderful sound I've heard in years.

"I thought that may have been the case. I like the color. Anyway, I'm starving! This place smells wonderful."

She was right. The different aromas wafting through the air had my mouth watering. Where's the chef again?

Just as I think that, he rounds the corner from the kitchen, smiling cheerfully at us.

"Welcome to Ichiraku ramen!" He repeats, at least to me, "My name is Teuchi. I run this place with my daughter, Ayame, who's currently in the kitchen. What can I get for you two?"

I glance down at the menu in front of me, somehow just now noticing it. It only takes me a second to decide.

"I'll take a large miso with extra pork please!" I say with enthusiasm.

"And I'll have the same, with a fish cake please." Adds Hinata.

My heart is still beating so hard it hurts. Just being next to her is driving me crazy. I really want to look into her mesmerizing pale eyes, but I don't. I want to respect her wishes, but damn it's hard!

"Naruto-kun, how did classes go today?" She asks, trying to start up the conversation again. I flush again at hearing her say my name that way. I haven't heard that in such a long time. No one besides her has ever said my name with the honorific like that, and I always feel a twinge of joy when I hear it come from her.

"It was good!" I reply as I scratch my cheek nervously, "Dr. Sarutobi has me doing a lot, prepping his classes, organizing files, even helping him grade papers. I think soon he might even allow me to teach one of this classes!" I exclaim, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.

"That's wonderful! I… I'm really proud of you." She says, and I swear my face must be entirely crimson now.

"Th-thank you, Hinata." Damn, what is wrong with me? Isn't she the one who used to stutter? "How are your classes going?"

I see her blush out of the corner of my eye, and I feel a bit of satisfaction that I still have that effect on her, "Great, really. Dr. Yuhi's class is the only one I'm truly interested in. All of the rest of them are just random electives. But so far, so good. It's a lot to get used to, but I think I'm doing well."

Before I can reply, Teuchi returns, holding our bowls in each hand. I take in the delicious smell of the pork and broth, and I can't wait to dig in.

"Here ya go! Enjoy!" He announces before leaving us alone.

Hinata and I continue to chat a bit as we down our ramen. It's wonderful, making me believe I've found a new favorite restaurant here in the city. Hinata and I talk about our classes, our roommates, and how we're both liking living here. She tells me how she thinks Sakura could wind up being her best friend, and that makes me happy. And I complain to her how Sasuke is still as grouchy as ever, but he's always there for me. Eventually we both finish our bowls, and it's time to leave. I insist on paying, which she argues against but I do it anyway, not giving her a choice.

Without looking up, she says goodbye to me, and says she'll send me an email when she gets home. I can't wait. When she begins to walk away, I finally allow my eyes to fall on her. Well, they fall on her perfectly sculpted backside that is. Damn. I continue to watch her walk away until she's out of sight, leaving me grinning like a goofy moron.

Realizing that I'm now alone, and begin to walk back home, replaying the night in my head. My heart rate is still high, and my stomach is doing flip flops, but I feel fantastic. The most alive I've felt in years.

It's like my spirit has returned to me.

Tears prick my eyes as I continue to make the journey back to my apartment. I try to hold them back, but the floodgates are opening up. Just being around her tonight, smelling her perfume, hearing her voice, it made my heart soar.

Things are going slowly, and I don't know if we'll ever be the same, but I'm not going to give up the hope that it's possible. Hinata's back in my life now, so I can't give up, I won't.

Just like I refused to give up all those years ago, when we were only children.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _It's been over a year since I did it. Over a year since I kissed Hinata, possibly the dumbest move I ever could have pulled._

 _I remember the kiss like it was yesterday. My lips still tingle every time I think about it. When I kissed her, it was as if time stopped. The world ceased to exist, and it was just us. My chest felt warm, my head was fuzzy, and I felt pin pricks all over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. The entire experience felt unreal._

 _It was when I thought, 'I can't believe I'm kissing Hinata.' That I snapped out of it._

 _Hinata. Sweet, innocent Hinata. Who I was ogling up and down like some sort of meal. My best friend, my first friend. The one who is always there for me. Hinata, the heiress to the Hyuga fortune, member of a powerful and elite family, and here she is kissing someone like me._

 _When that thought crossed my mind, I immediately jumped back, confusing her I'm sure._

 _The second I stopped, I started apologizing to her. Over and over. I didn't give her a chance to speak._

" _I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm such an idiot! I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"_

 _Actually I do. I wasn't thinking at all. I was too busy letting my arousal get the better of me. Hinata doesn't deserve that. And I don't deserve Hinata._

 _Before she could open her mouth, I took off in a nearly blinding speed. I doubt if I've ever run so fast in my life. As soon as I realized that she was going to speak, I was certain she would reject me, tell me that we were better as friends. After all, Hinata is a Hyuga. She's too good for someone like me. Someone from the system, an orphan with a name that holds nothing._

 _That angers me. It hurts. Because now I know that I can no longer look at her the same way. Ever since her lips met mine, I knew that she was more than a friend to me. I like her. I really like her._

 _Because beside the fact that Hinata is absolutely gorgeous, she's amazing on the inside as well. She's kind, considerate, caring, nurturing, smart, funny, cute, I could go on and on. And last but not least, she was my first friend ever._

 _That's another reason I'm afraid to be with her. What if we broke up? We couldn't go back to being friends then, could we? We would lose what we have, our entire friendship would dissipate._

 _Because of those two reasons, I tried my hardest to forget about the kiss. I figured if I didn't mention it, then Hinata wouldn't either. Everything would go back to the way it was._

 _Still, it's been hard not to act on my feelings. Seeing Hinata everyday, hearing her giggle, watching that pink blush creep up her cheeks, she is so adorable! And she really cares about me. She's amazing._

 _Not to mention… her body hasn't finished… er… changing._

 _I swear her chest gets bigger all the time. I try not to stare, I really do, but it's a losing battle. Sometimes I swear they're the ones staring at me. I sometimes imagine what they look like underneath her top, but then I have to stop myself before I get a raging boner right in front of her. I can never let that happen again._

 _And guys are always asking her out. Ever since her body started really showing, guys practically throw themselves at her. But, to my delight, she always says no. I know it sounds crazy but, I can't seem to get rid of the small sparkle of hope that maybe we can actually be together one day. Logically speaking, I know it's a pipe dream, but still. My heart just won't leave it alone. I still hold out a tiny inkling of hope._

 _That is, until today._

 _It was a day like any other. After History class, Hinata went to her locker to recover her textbook for Math. I was about to head to class, when I decided to stop and get some water from the fountain. That's when I heard the worst thing ever._

" _Thank you, I'd love to go with you."_

 _I overheard that damn bastard Suigetsu asking Hinata to the Spring Dance. I knew she would say no. I just knew it. But then, she didn't. When I peeked around the corner to spy on them, I immediately wished I hadn't._

 _Right in front of my eyes, I witnessed Suigetsu press his lips to Hinata's cheek. She jumped slightly, and blushed deeply. She blushed for someone that wasn't me. Someone else kissed her. She had a date with someone else._

 _My heart crumbled._

 _Even though I felt my world shatter, I knew Hinata was about to walk in my direction, and I couldn't allow her to catch me. So I sprinted to class, all the while forcing myself not to cry. My chest was hurting so bad I thought I might die from it. This was it. Hinata liked someone else. The spark of hope in my heart died then and there._

 _I sat in my desk, not hearing anything Mr. Kato said. I saw everyone take out their books and notebooks and start an assignment, so I followed suit._

 _And there was Hinata, sitting in front of me like nothing was wrong. Without a care in the world. Like my feelings for her didn't matter. Like I didn't matter._

 _I stared at her back and short indigo hair, breathing in the scent of lavender and vanilla that she always exudes. But damn, I wished she wouldn't be so alluring. Because it just hurt me more._

 _She slowly turned to face me, and I pretended to be working._

" _Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"_

 _I don't know why, but something inside of me snapped when she asked. Like she just had no clue how I was feeling, how much she had hurt me. All of my feelings, all of my jealousy, turned into a massive ball of anger that I made the stupid decision of throwing at her._

" _Why the hell do you care, huh? Look, I need to get some work done. Please just don't talk to me right now."_

 _I know my comment hurt her, but I felt out of control. My jealousy and anger was swirling inside me like a hurricane, I was burning from it. Hinata didn't deserve my harsh treatment. After all, I'm the one who kept her at arms length. But I was out of my mind with envy. Damn that Suigetsu._

* * *

 _When the bell rang for lunch, I knew I couldn't go to the careferia. I didn't want to face her, or anyone for that matter. I didn't trust myself not to explode in anger, or burst into tears._

 _I had no idea that Hinata's rejection of me would hurt this bad. It was just a crush, right? So why do I feel like my heart is shattered? It feels like a storm cloud is following me everywhere I go._

 _I had to get out of the school, away from people. I needed to be alone. I walked right out of the front entrance, ignoring the confused stares I received. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I was just walking. Before I knew it, I found myself standing atop the hill behind the middle school._

 _I chuckle at the irony. This is where I first kissed Hinata. I'm such an idiot! I screwed myself the second I leaned in to kiss her. Since then, I've been crazy about her. But I've kept it all inside._

 _Was it really smart for me to do that? I mean, yeah, Hinata comes from a rich family, but does that really mean she wouldn't want to be with me? And is it a given that we would even break up if we got together? Maybe… maybe we're supposed to be together._

 _But damn. It's over now. If Hinata ever had feelings for me, she's over them now. Why else would she agree to go out with that stupid Suigetsu? Fuck that guy._

 _I started yanking at my hair, trying to make sense of my feelings. Everything was so simple this morning. Hinata and I were just friends, despite my feelings. But I took for granted that she was by my side. I never considered someone coming along and taking her away. I never considered someone becoming more important to her than me. My heart sank at the thought. It hurt._

 _I heard a shuffling sound to my left, but I didn't investigate. I didn't care who it was._

" _Naruto-kun." It was her. The voice of an angel._

 _I turned to face her, and the same anger from earlier stirred within me once again. Jealousy overtook me, consumed my being entirely._

" _What do you want?" I saw her flinch at my tone, and it even sounded harsh to my own ears. I was out of control. My emotions raw and my pain fresh._

" _Please tell me what's wrong. Something is bothering you."_

" _Really? What gave me away?" I asked her sarcastically, "Shouldn't you be in class?"_

" _I could ask you the same thing." She countered._

 _My anger rose again. Deep down, I knew Hinata didn't deserve this. She did nothing wrong. And yet I couldn't deny the feelings of betrayal in my heart. No matter how irrational these feelings were. I had never felt like this._

" _Look, I'm not really in the mood to talk, Hinata. So you should just go back to school and leave me be."_

 _I knew I was hurting her. Why was I doing it? Was I trying to make her feel as bad as I did?_

" _Naruto-kun, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong with you." She told me._

 _No way was I telling her a damn thing. I just chuckled dryly at her. I could feel myself practically morphing into a stereotypical jackass, "There's nothing wrong with me at all. I'm just peachy. So you can just sit here forever."_

 _I looked at her eyes, and I noticed the telltale signs of tears welling up in them. Damn. I really was out of control._

" _W-whatever I-I did… I'm s-sorry…" She stuttered out. Yikes. I just looked away from her again. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was the image of that bastard kissing Hinata's cheek after she agreed to go to the dance with him._

 _The stupid, insecure part of my brain was telling me to push her away before she could reject me again, before she could hurt me again. If she really cared about me, she wouldn't have said yes to that jerk, right? It was so irrational, I didn't know what to think._

" _Hinata, just forget it, okay? Stop acting like you care."_

 _I chanced a glance over at her, and I wished I hadn't. Tears were flowing freely down her face, small gasps escaping her._

 _Damn it, I fucked up. What was I thinking?_

" _Naruto-kun, I must have you mistaken for someone else b-because, I thought you were s-someone who would never hurt me!" She shouted as she picked up a rock and threw it at me, causing me to duck to dodge it. Fuck! She was really upset._

 _Hell, of course she was. I had just spoken to her like she meant nothing to me. Despite how I felt, Hinata did nothing wrong. How could I treat her like that?! She turned to run off, her crying becoming louder. I couldn't leave things like this._

" _Wait! Hinata-chan! I'm sorry! Fuck!" I called out to her. I breathed a sigh of relief when she stopped, and I jumped up from my seat and went over to her._

 _I took her soft, delicate hand in mine, relishing the feeling. However, the pleasant sensation was short lived when she looked at me. I winced._

 _Her eyes were puffy and red, fresh tears running down her flushed cheeks. Her brows were furrowed and she was shaking. I could clearly see the hurt in her eyes. I was such an idiot. As bad as I felt before, I felt a thousand times worse in that moment._

" _Hinata-chan, look, I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, not at all. I'm just taking my anger out on you and that's not right. You don't deserve that, I'm sorry." I said, trying to hold back any tears._

" _Naruto-kun, please, tell me what's wrong."_

 _I shifted my gaze to the ground. I couldn't tell her. Not yet. I was not ready for the rejection I knew was sure to come. My heart couldn't handle it, "I- I'm sorry. I just can't tell you. I can't. But… you can stay here if you want, ya know. We can talk or something. Please, don't go."_

 _She seemed to ponder my words, and I hoped that she would stay. I wanted to spend some time with her before someone else stole her away from me._

 _She removed her hand from mine and began wiping her tears away, offering me a small smile. I felt my heart clench painfully in response, "Okay, Naruto-kun, I'll stay. You don't have to tell me."_

 _I smiled back at her. She truly is amazing, "Thank you."_

 _We sat there for a while, just talking. I wish she could have stayed longer, but she had to take her sister home. I watched her walk away, my chest getting tighter with each step she took._

 _And now I'm currently sitting atop the hill, all alone with my troubling thoughts._

 _I'm not sure what to do at this point. Should I tell her how I'm feeling? Should I try to move on? I don't know. I have so many insecurities. I've thought before that Hinata was too good for me, which she undoubtedly is. It's possible that her family might not like me. And being together could ruin our friendship. All these things are true. I've used them as excuses before for not going after her, but the truth is none of these are the real reasons for me not asking her out._

 _I'm just afraid she'll turn me down. That she doesn't feel the same way I do._

 _That's the truth of why I'm afraid. It's hard for me to imagine Hinata liking someone like me, it seems impossible. I'm a nothing, a nobody. I'm not good looking, I'm not smart, I'm not popular, hell, I don't even have parents! I have nothing. Except Jiraiya of course, my weird pervy godfather._

 _And then there's Hinata. The beautiful, rich heiress of the Hyuga family. Destined to inherit the Hyuga company and its fortune. She's sweet, caring, smart, creative, and absolutely gorgeous. She's a real catch._

 _In all honesty, when I play me asking her out over and over in my mind, I always imagine myself getting rejected by her. And I don't know if I could take it._

 _And yet…_

 _Someone else becoming more important to her than me is a nightmare. I can't stand the thought of it. When she said yes to Suigetsu, it was like my entire world fell apart. It hurts just to think about it._

 _I took for granted Hinata always saying no to guys who asked her out. I never gave much thought as to why she did, I was just happy she was turning them down. And now… now she's leaving me behind._

 _I'm sure Jiraiya is wondering where in the world I am. I guess I should go home soon. He used to come pick me up back in the day, but now I just walk home since I'm older now. I hope he's not worrying._

" _Hey, loser."_

 _A reflexive smirk paints my face as I hear my best friend's voice. He always seems to now when I need some advice._

" _Hey, Sasuke."_

 _My black haired friend plops down next to me and crosses his legs, just staring towards the horizon with me._

" _So, what's eating you?" He asks me._

" _It's nothing."_

" _Bullshit. I already think I know, but I want you to say it."_

 _Alright, might as well tell him. I know he won't rat me out to Hinata._

" _Hinata… Hinata-chan is going to the dance with Suigetsu Hozuki." I explain._

 _He quirks an eyebrow, as if he's amused or something, "I see. And why do you care exactly?"_

 _I look at the ground and my cheeks begin to burn in embarrassment. I've never told anyone how I feel about Hinata. Well, here goes nothing._

" _I… I… like Hinata-chan." I manage to force out._

 _I glance over at him, and he's smirking. What's that bastard smiling about?!_

" _Hmph. I knew it."_

 _My eyes widen, "Huh?! No way! You couldn't have known!"_

 _He chuckles, "Please. You're so obvious. You've been drooling over her ever since last year, along with all those other losers who chase after her. The only difference is you actually care about her. When we walk down the hall or eat lunch together, you look at her like she's the most amazing thing you've ever seen or something."_

 _My brows furrow. Is it really so obvious? Wait, does that mean Hinata knows?!_

" _If it's so obvious, does Hinata-chan know how I feel?!" I question him._

" _Nah, I don't think so. Besides, she's totally into you too and you haven't noticed. You're both completely hopeless."_

 _My heart stops._

 _Hinata… likes me too?_

 _No way! Sasuke must be mistaken. Besides, if she likes me, then how come she agreed to go out with Suigetsu?_

" _Hinata-chan doesn't like me."_

 _He rolls his eyes at me, "Yeah. Right. She just turns completely red around you and hangs onto your every word for no reason at all. Get real."_

 _Now that I think about it, he's right. Hinata blushes a lot in general, but she always seems to do it more around me. And she always listens so intently to me. And she's gone really far for me, cried for me even. Does she like me after all?_

" _Then why would she agree to go out with that bastard, Suigetsu?!" I think aloud._

 _He smacks his forehead with his palm, "How dumb are you? Hinata has liked you for a long time. Seriously. Since I've known you both she's had a crush on you, and you haven't done anything about it. She probably thinks you don't like her and she's trying to move on."_

 _That makes sense. Not to mention I kissed her and then basically pretended it didn't happen for over a year. Fuck. She probably thinks that I thought it was a mistake or something. That I regretted it. Damn! I have to talk to her!_

 _But…_

" _Sasuke, what about her family? Hinata-chan is just way too good for me. She's an heiress and I'm just some orphan kid. What if her family hates me or something?"_

 _Sasuke groans in annoyance, as if my problems are bugging the hell out of him. Typical, "Look Naruto, we're only thirteen. You guys have all the time in the world to figure that out. Just go for it, and stop sulking all the time. It's annoying."_

 _I pause for a moment, thinking on his words. Maybe… maybe I should go for it. Maybe I am overthinking this. Yeah… who the hell cares about all of the extra stuff? Hinata likes me and I like her. We should be together! Damn it! Tomorrow when I see her at school, I'll set things right._

 _My heart feels a bit lighter at my newfound resolve, and I smile brightly at my best friend, "Thanks Sasuke. I owe you one, ya know!"_

 _He smirks at me, "Just don't screw it up. Loser."_

* * *

 _The morning finally comes, rescuing me from my nearly sleepless night. I was so nervous, I barely got any rest. I'm sure I look like a zombie, but I don't care. Only one thing matters to me right now, and that's telling Hinata how I feel._

 _I got here so early that I'm probably the first one in the building. I just have to see her as soon as possible, I can't wait._

 _I stand anxiously by her locker, fidgeting in anticipation of her arrival. My heart is threatening to explode in my chest, and beads of sweat roll down my face. I have never been so nervous in my life._

 _I stand waiting for a little while, rocking back and forth on my heels. People slowly begin to file into the building, and I know she'll be here any minute. I keep taking deep breaths, trying in vain to calm myself._

 _Then, I see her. She hasn't noticed me yet. She's walking over towards me, looking absolutely beautiful. As usual, her school uniform hugs her form perfectly, her long legs adorned with knee length socks and black flats. I notice that her short indigo hair is decorated with a lilac flower pin, making me gush at how adorable she is. I scan her face, her mesmerizing lavender eyes sparkling, her lips coated in her usual cherry lip gloss. I want so badly to kiss those lips, and taste that lip gloss._

 _Her eyes finally spot me, and she smiles shyly, the usual pink dusting her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Could she be any cuter? I feel my own cheeks heat in response._

 _She finally arrives to her locker, and greets me before putting in her combination._

" _Good Morning, Naruto-kun. Are you feeling better today? I was worried about you."_

 _Gosh. How could I ever doubt how she feels about me? She cares about me, thinks about me, worries about me. That tingly warmth explodes in my chest. I relish the feeling of it._

" _I-I'm good Hinata-chan. Much better today. In fact, I'm… I'm great." I respond, cursing myself internally at how anxious I sound. But I just can't help it!_

 _She opens her locker to collect her things, "I'm glad!"_

 _Alright, here goes. The moment I've been rehearsing in my head over and over._

" _Hinata-chan?"_

" _Yes, Naruto-kun?"_

" _I was… I was wondering if we could talk, ya know?"_

 _She pokes her head out of her locker and I notice that her cheeks are a deep crimson now._

" _Oh, what about?"_

 _I avert my gaze, nervously twiddling my thumbs._

" _W-well ya see… yesterday… I'm sorry. I-I acted like a total jackass. Then I didn't even tell you why."_

 _She places a hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner, "It's okay Naruto-kun. I forgive you."_

 _No, I'm not letting myself off the hook, "No, it's not okay. B-because the reason I was upset was be-because…" Damn. Come on! Just tell her!_

 _She tilts her head to the side, a curious expression on her face._

" _It-it's because I overheard you agree to go to the dance with Suigetsu." I force out. I nervously take a glance at her, gauging her reaction._

 _She seems a bit confused at first, allowing the gears to turn in her mind before forming a response._

" _Why did that upset you?"_

 _Okay, here goes. Damn it. Just say it!_

" _B-because I l-l-like y-you, H-Hinata-chan."_

 _Time stops. Hinata freezes, as do I. For a few minutes, neither of us say anything. Okay, it was actually only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to me. I'm dying to know what she's going to say, what she's thinking._

 _Then, she frowns. Uh oh._

" _I don't believe you."_

 _My eyes widen, and I feel my throat closing up. That was not the reaction I expected._

" _Wh-what do you mean?!"_

 _She furrows her brows. Is she… angry?_

" _Naruto-kun, when you kissed me that day last year, I was so happy. I was sure you would ask me to be your girlfriend. But you never did. In fact, you made an effort to never bring it up. You made it clear to me by your actions that you thought the kiss was a mistake. I've turned down date after date for over a year. You've had all this time, and the second I say yes to someone you claim to like me? No. Naruto-kun, you're just feeling upset that someone else has my attention now. You're feeling jealous. You put down a toy you didn't want, and now that someone else is playing with it you want it. That's all this is. Well, Naruto Uzumaki, I'm no toy. I refuse to let you mess with my emotions any longer!" She shouts, and then slams her locker shut. Then, she angrily starts to march away._

" _Wait! Hinata-chan! That's not it at all! Please wait!" I shout, hoping she'll stop like she did yesterday._

 _But she doesn't. She just marches off to class, ignoring my pleas._

 _Fuck! Damn! Have I really hurt her that much? Have I really made her feel that way? I… I honestly had no idea. Guilt swells in my heart, and threatens to consume me. The painful pounding in my chest an uncomfortable consequence of my remorse._

 _I'm an idiot._

 _But I won't give up. I'm going to prove to her that I mean it. That I really do like her, and I'm not just being jealous. I mean, I am jealous, but that's just a side-effect!_

 _I run to my locker to grab my things, and head off to class. I'm going to make her believe me. The dance is tomorrow, there's no time to waste!_

* * *

 _History class went as expected. I spent the entire time hoping and praying that Hinata would look at me._

' _Come on Hinata-chan! Don't ignore me! Please!'_

 _But she refused to look my way. Her eyes simply wouldn't meet mine._

 _I tossed a paper airplane note to Hinata towards the end of class, explaining my feelings._

 _ **Hinata-chan,**_

 _ **I'm so sorry that I hurt you, and made you feel so badly. I never wanted to do that. But please, you have to understand. When we kissed, I thought you hated it, ya know? I was afraid you would reject me afterwards, so I became a coward and tried to avoid talking about it. I've always thought you were way too good for me, so I thought there was no way you could ever like me back. But Hinata-chan, I really do like you. I could never forget about that kiss. It was amazing. I really like you, a lot. Please, believe me.**_

 _ **Naruto.**_

 _To my utter dismay, she crumpled the note back up after reading it, and walked over to the trash can, disposing of it._

 _Message received, loud and clear._

 _Okay, so her walls are up. Words won't cut it. I need to do something. I have to show her. Let's see, what's something that girls like?_

 _Flowers! I should get her flowers! But where can I get them? Wait! There's a flower shop just down the street! I'll have to ditch school again for a few minutes, but it's worth it!_

 _I'n now sitting impatiently in Math class, tapping my foot. I only have a few minutes until lunch. I need to get outside to get some flowers. Maybe then she'll finally listen to me._

 _ **Ring!**_

 _Finally! I grab my things and shoot out of my seat, barreling towards the exit and out into the hallway. I sprint to my locker faster than I thought I could, putting my books away. Okay, now to get to the shop. I make my way to one of the side entrances, and head out the door. Man, it is way too easy to leave this place during the day._

 _I step outside, and waste no time sprinting towards the sidewalk and down the street to the shop. I just hope no one calls the school and rats me out._

 _The shop comes into view. It's the Yamanaka flower shop, it belongs to the family of some girl in my grade, Ino. I hope her mom doesn't recognize me._

 _I open the door, taking in the lovely scents given off by the various types of flowers._

 _I see a woman standing at the counter, smiling at me. She asks me if I need anything, and I just respond by telling her I'm just looking._

 _Then, something catches my eye. I see some lilacs over next to the window. They're beautiful, and they remind me of Hinata. I remember her lilac flower hair clip she was wearing today. My chest feels fuzzy, and I know right away these are perfect for her. I ask the lady to put some in a bouquet for me, which she does without question, a cheerful smile on my face. I'm just grateful she's not asking me why I'm not in school._

 _I throw down part of my allowance from Jiraiya on the counter, and run back to the school as fast as I can with my flowers. I really hope she likes them._

 _When I get back inside, I notice that there's still about ten minutes of lunch left. Good. There's still time._

 _I run up the stairs, racing to the cafeteria. My heart is thumping in my chest, my belly is doing flip flops. I hope she likes the flowers. I hope she understands how I feel._

 _I make it to the cafeteria, but I'm puzzled when I don't see Hinata sitting with Sasuke at our usual spot. Thinking he must know where she is, I walk over to Sasuke, bouquet in hand._

 _His face turns up to me, an emotionless expression covering his features, "I take it you've had no luck with Hinata, hm?"_

" _How did you know that?" I ask him._

 _He sighs, and then points a finger to the left. I follow where he's pointing, and I'm enraged._

 _I see Hinata, giggling and twirling her hair. She's… she's sitting next to him!_

 _Suigetsu has his arm draped over her, leaning in closely, a cocky smirk on his stupid face._

 _Oh hell no. This asshole is not going to kiss her, no way. I can't let her do this. My jealousy is at an all time high, and I feel out of control again. I don't even realize that my legs are already bringing me closer to them, my skin hot with anger. I don't think out my next actions, I just act on instinct alone._

 _I march up to the table, earning a confused stare from Suigetsu, and a troubled expression from Hinata._

" _Uzumaki, what do you want?" He asks me, as if I'm some bother to him. This guy is just asking to get punched._

 _But that's not what I do._

 _My hand darts out, and I jerk Hinata right out of her seat, earning a surprised squeak from her, shock conveyed on her face._

 _I pull her closely in no time, my hands clinging to her waist, still holding the lilacs._

" _Naruto-kun, what are you-mpmh!?"_

 _She's cut off by my lips. I kiss her. Hard. I pour all of my passion into it, forcing her to see how much I want to be with her. That I really do like her, I wasn't just toying with her. I pull her even closer, no space left between us. I love everything about me and her. The friendship, the trust, the laughter, the honesty, and the innocence of it. I want it all._

 _I smirk inwardly when I feel her kissing me back._

 _Yes!_

 _Just like last time, my body burns. Pin pricks dance along my skin, butterflies flitting around in my stomach. When our lips connect, it's like fireworks are going off inside of me. I wonder if she feels the same way._

 _After a few more seconds, I pull away, breathing harshly, as does she._

 _Suigetsu stands up, glaring, "What the hell dude?!"_

" _Naruto-kun… I don't understand…" Hinata breathes, still panting hard from our kiss._

 _There's no going back now. The whole damn cafeteria is watching. I'll show her, I'm not backing down, not even in front of everyone._

" _Hinata-chan, I'm sorry. I'm a fucking idiot. I've been wasting all this time, not telling you how I really feel. When we kissed last year, I realized I was crazy about you, but I kept everything inside. I was afraid you would reject me. I took for granted that you were always by my side, and thought it would be fine. But when you agreed to go to the dance with someone else, I realized I could lose you, and whatever we might have. My heart broke, my whole world didn't make sense any more. Hinata-chan, I know it's a huge risk, but I realize now it's a risk I have to take. I really, really like you Hinata-chan. I promise, I'll never hurt you again. Please…" I take her delicate hand in mine, the other still holding the flowers. I look straight into her eyes, cerulean meeting pale lavender. In this moment, there are no other people watching. It's only us._

" _Will you be my girlfriend?"_

 _Hinata's eyes bore into mine. And I notice her cheeks burn red. But then, something wonderful happens._

 _She smiles._

 _Then, she really throws me for a loop. She removes her hand from mine, and places both of them on each side of my face. I savor the feeling of her soft skin against my flushed cheeks, and I notice that she's leaning closer to me. Is she doing what I think she is?_

 _She gently presses her lips to mine, giving me a chaste kiss._

 _When she pulls back, I flash her a big goofy grin._

" _So, is that a yes?" I ask her, wanting to be sure._

 _She giggles, covering her mouth. What an awesome sound._

" _Yes, Naruto-kun. I would love to be your girlfriend."_

 _Warmth fills my entire body. My heart slams against my rib cage, nearly knocking me back. I can't believe it! Hinata is my girlfriend!_

 _I hug her tightly, not giving a damn who sees._

" _Good, cause I got you some flowers," I tell her, pulling them from behind my back. I present them to her, "I don't know if you like lilacs, but they reminded me of your hair pin. And your eyes. Cause they're so pretty, ya know?"_

 _She takes them from me, and inhales their scent. She smiles warmly at me, her blush deepening even further._

" _I love them, Naruto-kun. Thank you."_

 _Best. Day. Ever._

* * *

 _I walk out of school hand in hand with Hinata, grinning from ear to ear. I can't remember ever being so happy. I look over to my new girlfriend, loving how her pale lavender eyes sparkle when she looks at me._

 _I squeeze her hand gently, earning a shy smile from her. This really is the best day ever._

 _Hinata is so amazing, and I'm so lucky she's with me now. Now that I have her, I'm never going to let her go._

 _No matter what._

* * *

 _ **Author's Note!**_

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and the story is really going to start moving along after this chapter. Expect the update for my other story,** _ **What's Best for Everyone**_ **in the next few days.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back!**

 **Hope everyone is having a great day!**

 _ **Just to let everyone know**_ **, I'm now working two jobs (ugh) so I won't have as much time to write. I still will! But my updates are going to come more slowly. I just went from working 32 hrs/ week to working 60 hrs/ week, so you can imagine. I'll try my best to get chapters out as quickly as possible, but there might not be a set schedule to it I'm afraid. Being poor is not fun you guys. **

**Anyway! On to Chapter 6! Hope you like it! There are some BIG hints in the chapter. BUT the answer may not be as obvious as you think it is!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Naruto is owned by M. Kishimoto.**

* * *

I write down the notes eagerly from the board, taking in every word Dr. Yuhi tells us. Every lecture from her is captivating, teaching me new things I had never even thought of before. She's amazing!

College is so different from high school. There's more class discussion, and more critical thinking, which I love. I feel like I actually get to use my brain for once.

Dr. Yuhi really encourages us to participate in class and state what we think about certain topics. She really wants to know what we're thinking, which makes sense since she's a psychology professor. She takes an interest in us, and I feel that she takes an interest in me in particular.

It's time for class to end, and as everyone is gathering their things and shuffling out of the classroom, I run up to the front to speak to Dr. Yuhi.

"Good morning Dr. Yuhi!" I greet her cheerfully.

She shifts her gaze on me while putting some notes into her bag, "Ah, Hinata! How are you today?"

"I'm great! I was actually wondering if you have some time to talk with me in your office at the moment."

She smiles warmly at me, "Of course. I have about thirty minutes before I need to get ready for another class. Let's head down there now."

We exit the classroom and head down the hall towards her office. I've been in her office a few times already, taking up her offer to see her during her office hours. On the wall are degrees, honors, awards, and framed pictures. Her desk is littered with papers, but also a few pictures of her and her husband, who I now know as Asuma. A young man with tan skin, shaggy black hair, and a beard.

As I walk inside I take a seat across from her, fiddling with my lavender sweater.

"Now, what would you like to talk about today, Hinata?" She asks me.

"Well, I was wondering if you could give me some advice about something, but it's kind of a personal topic." I admit, messing with my sweater a bit more.

She smiles, "Don't worry Hinata. You can feel comfortable with me. Now, what is it you would like help with?"

I avert my gaze and begin poking my fingers together, a nervous habit that I thought I had kicked years ago, "W-well, I was wondering what your thoughts are about dating in college."

"Dating?"

I nod, "Yes. I was wondering if it would be a good idea or not. You see, I know some people think it can be a distraction. And I don't want anything impeding me getting my degree. I was just curious as to what you thought."

"Actually," She begins, "Asuma and I dated all throughout college."

"Really?" I ask, surprised.

"Yes, we met at freshman orientation, believe it or not. We connected right away. We began dating a few weeks later, and we've been together ever since. In fact, I think it was actually helpful to me." She states.

I tilt my head, "In what way?"

"Well, for example, Asuma and I helped each other study, and helped each other with homework. And sometimes, if one of us was stressed out from exams, the other would take that person out for ice cream to calm their nerves. Sometimes if school had me exhausted, Asuma would clean my apartment for me." She giggles, as if reliving the memory, "Everyone is different of course, Hinata, so you have to decide what is best for you, but in my case it was a huge benefit."

I nod in understanding, "I see. I have a lot to think about. I'm glad to have you to talk to Dr. Yuhi."

She laughs, and smiles warmly at me again, "I appreciate that Hinata, but I must confess to you now, that I'll be out for a few months towards the end of August."

I quirk an eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

And then, as if the world was moving in slow motion, Dr. Yuhi gently placed her hand on her stomach.

"I'm having a baby."

My eyes widen, and I try in vain to calm the churning in my gut.

"O-oh, congratulations."

"Thank you. Of course Hinata, that's a long way off, and you'll always be able to email me. In any case, I just wanted to make sure you were prepared."

"Yes, I understand," I reply, although my mind is only half way here now.

* * *

I sit down with my tea and cinnamon roll, embracing the warmth and comfort of the cafe. I'm grateful Naruto isn't here. Not that I don't want to see him, but it might be awkward if it's not planned. I shed my purple fluffy coat, and take off my gloves before settling into my seat.

Dr. Yuhi's conversation with me still echoes loudly in my mind. I can't stop thinking about it.

 _I'm having a baby._

That shouldn't bother me the way it does.

It shouldn't make my heart race.

It shouldn't make me feel anxious.

But it does.

I exhale, before taking a bite of my food.

 _PING!_

My heart leaps at the sound. I haven't gotten a chance to speak to him today, so to say I'm happy to hear from him is an understatement.

 _Lavender,_

 _Hello beautiful. How are you today? I just got a break after doing some work for Dr. Sarutobi, and I wanted to check in._

 _\- Whiskers_

Momentarily, my worries and memories are pushed to the side. I'm just trying to pay attention to the here and now, and what I feel for Naruto.

 _Whiskers,_

 _Hi! :)_

 _I'm doing great! I just had some time after Dr. Yuhi's class to grab a bite to eat, which is what I'm doing right now. What about you? How is your day going?_

 _\- Lavender_

He's clearly the reason I asked Dr. Yuhi about dating. I'm glad that she said what she did. I'm not sure what I'm getting into with Naruto. Maybe I'm just fooling myself into thinking we can have what we once had. That we can get back what we lost.

One thing that's painfully clear to me after today is that even if Naruto and I can move forward again, it won't be the same as it was. It never can be.

But does that mean it isn't worth it to at least try?

 _PING!_

 _Lavender,_

 _Good! Law school is tough, but so am I, so I'm killing it of course!_

 _So, I was wondering… things are going really well, ya know? So I was hoping…_

 _Can I have your new cell number? Can we move this from email to text?_

 _\- Whiskers_

I feel my cheeks heat, and not from the warmth of the cafe.

It seems so silly, people text each other all the time, it's not something intimate. But with Naruto and I, we're moving at turtle-like speed. Texting is a small step up. He'll have my phone number. I changed it right after I left so he couldn't contact me. Am I ready to give him my number?

 _Whiskers,_

 _We can :)_

 _Is your old number still the same?_

 _\- Lavender_

 _PING!_

 _Lavender,_

 _Woohoo! Yes! The same as it's always been!_

 _\- Whiskers_

I giggle, I can practically hear his enthusiasm through the email. I press the contacts icon in my phone, seeing a picture from Naruto in high school. Seeing it causes a pang of hurt in my chest, but I can't bring myself to delete it. It's a random shot I took of him in class. He was sitting in the desk in front of me, goofing off. He was looking back at me with a face-splitting grin, his blue eyes sparkling. It's such a Naruto shot. I love it. Things were so simple back then.

Next to it is his old phone number. I'm not sure why I kept it. I never intended to contact him, but my heart refused to let me delete the contact. Maybe deep down, I knew I'd see him again.

I press the phone number with my finger, then press the 'text' option. Then I send him a simple message.

 _To: Naru-kun_

 _Hello! :) it's me! This is my new number!_

I put away my phone for now, happy with my decision. It's scary venturing into this territory, but with Naruto, I somehow feel that it's right.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a sign in front of the counter. It catches my interest as soon as I read it.

 ** _Help Wanted_**

Perfect! I need a job desperately! I could work here. There would be the added risk of running into Naruto here, but maybe that's not a terrible thing. Maybe if I get used to seeing him, it will become easier for me.

Plus free cinnamon rolls? Yes please!

I move from my seat quickly and walk up to the counter. I ask the cashier for an application, and she happily hands me one with a pen. I make my way back over to my seat.

I keep sipping on my tea as I fill out the application. I'm starting to feel hopeful. School is going well so far, I may be getting a job finally, and things are moving along with Naruto.

 _I'm having a baby._

I push the thought of the conversation to the side. I can't think about that. Yes, maybe Naruto and I have a troubled history, but I can't continue to let the past scare me away from what might be true happiness. We can have a future together. I've been heartbroken for the past four years, and Naruto has been cold and cut off. Neither of us have been happy.

My phone buzzes.

 _From: Naru-kun_

 _Hey Bunny :)_

 _I'm glad to be able to text you again. Maybe one day I can even call you, ya know?_

My chest feels warm, and my cheeks are ablaze.

Yeah.

It's time to heal.

* * *

 _From: Naru-kun_

 _Hey Hina, can we maybe meet at Ichiraku again this Friday? My treat, ya know!_

… _._

 _To: Naru-kun_

 _I would love that, Naruto-kun. Same time as before?_

… _._

 _From: Naru-kun_

 _I'll be there :)_

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _High School. Two words that make my heart race and my brain jumble with nerves. I'm a wreck._

 _I'm fourteen years old now, I should be old enough to know how to calm my nerves, right? Wrong. Oh so wrong._

 _Naruto, Sasuke and I have always been outcasts. Well, until junior high when every boy decided they wanted to get in my pants. And Sasuke more by choice, because every girl always drooled over him. Naruto is still an outcast, but I actually think he loves it. He almost seems to revel in the fact._

 _Me… not so much. I'm afraid that whatever we faced until now will seem easy in comparison to high school. And for me that means one thing._

 _More girls calling me weird, more boys to deal with, and a very jealous boyfriend._

 _And my shy, awkward personality not being able to handle it properly._

 _It's not surprising to me that Naruto is the jealous type. That seems to fit his personality. When we started dating a year and a half ago, some boys didn't get the hint. They still asked me out, and unfortunately that resulted in Naruto getting in trouble with fighting._

 _He finally stopped when I told him I wouldn't kiss him again if he got expelled for punching a boy in the face. But he still sends out plenty of threats, glares, and scowls._

 _I hate it. I've never been someone who wants or needs attention. In fact, I've always shied away from it. I only want it from Naruto, that's enough. Well, maybe my father too, but that's another story. I don't want hormone-ridden boys following me around. And all because my breasts decided to develop early, and a lot! I'm only fourteen and I'm a D cup! And maybe growing my hair out wasn't best idea, because it's caused me to get even more attention. It now reaches mid back, and I've taken to putting it into a side braid most of the time._

 _It doesn't help that our school uniforms seem to accentuate my body. I've taken to wearing a baggy sweater over my top, but my legs are still bare thanks to the skirt I have to wear. Ugh!_

 _If the other girls knew my current thoughts, they would probably murder me. Some would kill for boys to chase them. Not me. My social anxiety can't handle it._

 _Now that I'm in high school, I just know it's going to get worse. I just hope Naruto doesn't do anything stupid. Because what we do now will help decided where we end up. For me personally, I'd like Naruto, Sasuke, and myself to all end up in college. Making something of ourselves._

 _Another thing I worry about is pleasing Father. Now that I'm in high school, he expects even more from me. He's never been pleased with me, even though I'm one of the top students in my class. No, that's not enough. Unless I'm perfect, he'll never be satisfied, and now he's going to be on my case even more._

 _I've just finished dropping Hanabi off at middle school, and now I'm walking to the high school which is just a few blocks up the street. My hands are clammy, my heart is pounding, and I keep having to remind myself to take deep breaths._

' _Calm down!'_

 _I see the large building come into sight and my breathing picks up. This is it. The next four years from now will determine my entire future. I take another deep breath and continue walking forward, each step weighing heavily on my mind._

 _People. So many people. How many are there exactly?! People are outside throwing frisbees, leaning on cars, gossiping, there are even some people making out in broad daylight! Young me would have fainted at such behavior, but now I just blush deeply._

" _Calm down. It's not like you've never done that." Comes the voice of my raven-haired best friend. I jump when he speaks, but when I realize it's him I manage to calm down a bit._

" _O-oh. Hi Sasuke-kun." I greet him._

 _He chuckles, "Wow, you're nervous. Calm down. No need to freak out. The blonde loser will make sure nothing happens."_

 _I blush again at the mention of Naruto. My boyfriend. Even after all this time, it feels amazing to say it and know it's true. Naruto Uzumaki is my boyfriend. Our relationship so far has been amazing. When I'm with him, I feel things so intense I can't even describe them. My heart feels like it will explode any minute. He's an incredible boyfriend, always showering me in attention and compliments. I couldn't ask for anything more._

 _Well… except…_

" _Hina-chan! Sasuke! Hey!"_

 _It's him! My blush deepens and I turn around to see my handsome blonde boyfriend. He's just wearing the standard school uniform, white button up shirt, khakis, a green tie and sneakers. His backpack is slung lazily over his shoulder and he flashes me a fox like grin. I feel my heart flutter at his appearance. I think he is the most attractive thing I've ever seen._

" _What's up loser?"_

" _Good morning Naru-kun." I say with a smile._

" _Well, here we are in high school. Are you guys ready to go inside?" He asks us._

" _Hn." Replies Sasuke as usual._

" _U-uh s-sure." I reply, although I really don't want to yet honestly. I'm just so nervous! My heart is slamming in my chest. And Naruto I'm sure can sense this._

 _As if he's reading my thoughts, Naruto places a calming hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently. I look up into his magical blue eyes and I feel his reassurance coming through them._

" _Don't worry Hina," He says so quietly that only I can hear him, "You'll do great. And I'll be right here next to you. Always."_

 _My heart flutters and I nod, "Okay. Thank you, Naruto-kun."_

 _I'm still anxious, but Naruto has managed to calm me down quite a bit. Only he can have that effect on me. Finally, the three of us walk together through the front doors into high school._

 _The halls are huge here. Wow. And there are signs all over the place. One for football and cheerleading tryouts, one for chess club, one for drama club, and so on. And so many people!_

 _I swear, I can't believe I'm going to the same school as these people. Some look my age, nothing unusual. But some of these people look like they're in their twenties! Puberty has been very good to them. Especially some of the jocks. Beards, muscles, and guys that are 6'4"?! It's crazy!_

 _And they keep staring at me._

 _This is what I was afraid of. A few of the guys keep looking at me like a meal, and I feel unnerved. But then, I feel a warmth envelop my hand and I look down to see Naruto has taken my hand into his. He grins widely at me, and I forget all the prying eyes. They don't matter._

 _Between Sasuke's indifference and Naruto's confidence, I begin to loosen up. These two staying calm and cool is helping me to do the same. We make our way to our lockers, and unfortunately Naruto's isn't close to mine. However, Sasuke's is right next me. Whew, that makes me feel better._

" _Alright guys, I'll see you in our first class, let's see…" He says as he pulls out a folded up schedule from his pocket, "It looks like we have Mr. Hatake for Biology first block. Room 120. See you guys in a bit?"_

 _Both of us nod, and before Naruto leaves he pecks me on the cheek, earning him a giggle and blush from me. I always chastise myself for acting like a giddy little girl around him, but I can't help it! He just brings that out in me._

 _I put in the combination to my locker and begin putting most of my things inside, except for a notebook and a pencil bag. I wait for Sasuke who is currently being ogled at by a group of girls. Nothing new, just this time the girls are a little older._

" _Ready to go?" He asks me, ignoring them._

" _Yes. Let's go." I say as we walk down the hall to meet Naruto in class. As we walk into class, I see that Naruto is already sitting down and has saved me a seat on his right. I blush, and quickly go over to my desk and sit down next to him, smiling warmly at him. Sasuke takes a seat on Naruto's left, and now I feel as though I'm finally getting settled._

 _The bell rings and everyone begins filing in. Then our Biology teacher, Mr. Hatake, comes in. He's got a slouched posture, reading a small book and walking at the same time. He's wearing a white dress shirt and a blue tie, and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. He's also wearing black trousers and dress shoes. His silver hair is wild and disheveled, leaning on the right side of his head. He seems pretty aloof for a teacher. He walks to the front of the class and clears his throat._

" _Good morning everyone. My name is Mr. Hatake, your Biology teacher. This class shouldn't be too difficult, but it won't be an easy A either. Do the work, study and you'll be fine. That's all you need to know. Now, I have the biology textbooks stacked up here on my desk. Everyone can go ahead and get one now." He says._

 _As he announced this, everyone stood up and headed to his desk. There's little order and organization in this class so far, and it's clear right away that this is Mr. Hatake's style._

 _When everyone returns to their seat with their books, Mr. Hatake goes right into a lecture about chapter 1. I'm paying close attention, not wanting to miss anything when suddenly, I'm distracted by the sound of paper being unfolded._

 _I shift my gaze to my left and I see none other than Naruto opening a note that apparently had been passed to him. I see his eyes reading over it, before he gasps and… is he blushing?! He quickly folds the note up and puts it in his pocket, resuming his note taking._

 _Now I'm having trouble focusing. What was on that note? Why did Naruto react that way? I'm definitely asking him after class. I'm not sure why, but something about his reaction really bothers me._

 _The end of class comes finally, and I don't even go to my locker. I follow Naruto to his. If I don't ask him about that stupid note it's going to bother me all day._

 _He begins to open his locker when he sees me, and smiles brightly at me. Although his smile always makes my heart flutter, I can't let it distract me as to why I followed him in the first place._

" _Naru-kun, what was with that note?" I ask him, getting straight to the point._

 _There's a clear change in his expression, and he averts his gaze, suddenly seeming nervous, "N-note? W-what note?" He asks me._

 _Now I'm really curious. Why is he lying?_

" _Naruto-kun, I saw you open it, gasp, and then put it in your pocket. Just tell me." I implore him._

 _He exhales, then reaches into his back pocket, extracting the crumpled note. He reaches it out to me and I take it, "Look, it's no big deal, it just caught me off guard, but it doesn't mean anything okay?"_

 _I listen to his words as I unfold the note and read it over quickly._

 _ **Hey cutie!**_

 _ **You must be new here! Well I'd love to get to know you better ;)**_

 _ **Look for me in lunch! I have long black hair and a blue necklace. Maybe we could go out for dinner sometime? ;)**_

 _ **Kin**_

 _My face is hot. Not from the usual shyness or embarrassment, no. I'm angry._

 _How dare she?! Who the hell is this Kin person?!_

 _I look up from the note to Naruto, who's avoiding my stare and sweating profusely. Does he think I'm mad at him or something?_

" _Hi-Hina-chan...I-I wasn't gonna respond! I swear!" He says, still avoiding my gaze._

 _I shake my head, "Naruto-kun, I'm not mad at you, I'm just angry with her. I'm mad that she hit on a boy who obviously has a girlfriend. It's revolting." I state, scowling._

 _He exhales, I'm assuming in relief, "I'm glad you're not upset with me Hina. I'll go throw this away. It's just weird to get one of these, ya know?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

 _He put his hands behind his head as we began walking down the hall to our next class._

" _Well, it's just that I never got this kind of attention before, but today I got that note, and then another girl from class winked at me."_

 _My head snaps back towards him, "What?! WHO?!"_

 _He waves his hands defensively, "I- I don't know her! I swear! She has red hair and a beanie on! That's all I know! Please don't be mad!"_

 _I take a deep breath, trying to calm the raging storm brewing inside me. Then, something occurs to me._

" _Naruto-kun, I'm sorry."_

 _He looks at me like I have two heads, "What?! Why in the world are you sorry?"_

 _I put my head down in embarrassment, "Because, you getting this attention from other girls makes me feel horrible and angry. I feel a little out of control. That's how you've felt about other boys flirting with me, right?"_

 _His eyes widen before nodding slowly, "Yeah…"_

" _I'm sorry. All this time I've just thought you had a bad temper, but now I understand how you feel." I admit, feeling guilty._

 _He beams at me, "Well that's alright Hina, I do have a bad temper sometimes when it comes to you, ya know! But that's only because-" He clamps his hands down over his mouth, cutting himself off._

" _Because what?" I ask curiously._

 _He seems bewildered, before averting his gaze and scratching his cheek in classic Naruto fashion. He's nervous?_

" _Uh, er nothing. Um hey, don't you need to go to your locker before our next class?"_

 _Realization hits me, "Yikes! You're right! I'll see you in class Naruto-kun!" I shout back to him as I run off, waving._

 _As I quickly grab my things from my locker, I begin to realize just how difficult this year is going to be. I'm such an idiot for not expecting girls to flirt with Naruto! Puberty hit him pretty hard this summer, and now he looks much more mature. He's taller, his jawline is more rigid, his arms have gained some muscle, and his shoulders are broader now. His whisker marks actually seem to accentuate his new manly features. I should have expected this!_

 _I exhale, shutting my locker and head off to class._

* * *

 _Lunch comes mercifully._

 _I don't know if I can stand one more girl giggling, blushing and pointing at my boyfriend. He's mine!_

 _He seems pretty oblivious to most of it, unless they try to come up to him. But me? It's driving me insane. I know I shouldn't let it get to me like this, but I can't help it because… because…_

 _I love him._

 _I blush as I walk toward my locker. Even admitting it in my head gets me all worked up. I haven't told Naruto yet. I know we've been together for over a year, but we're still so young. And Naruto is maturing slower than me, as is to be expected. I'm afraid to tell him, to take that huge step. What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if it ruins what we have? I'm afraid._

 _And because I don't know his feelings for certain, I can't help but feel insecure when these high school girls, some of them sixteen years old, hit on him. What if he starts to like one of them? After all, these girls are so beautiful. And they're probably more outgoing than me, and definitely more experienced. I can't help but fear that he'll be drawn to one of them and leave me behind._

 _Maybe I'm being silly. I can't help it, though. I feel so insecure, and these girls are all so sure of themselves. Naruto is like that too. Does he want someone like that?_

 _I frown as I make my way towards the cafeteria after putting my things away in my locker. Before I make it to the lunch room, however, I hear his voice._

" _Er, um, l-listen, Tayuya right? I'm flattered but-"_

 _Damn! Someone else is asking him out?!_

 _I run over to where the noise is coming from, and see Naruto standing near his locker. He must have been about to leave for lunch. Some girl was leaning closer to him, protruding her chest out towards him. Ugh what a tramp! She has bright red hair and a beanie on her head. It's that same girl he was talking about! I hide behind a doorway, and peek my head out to see._

" _What's the matter Naruto-kun? Don't you find me attractive?" She asks him, batting her eyelashes. I nearly lose it when he blushes._

 _He scratches his cheek, "Look, you're very pretty but I have a girlfriend. And I-"_

 _She scoffs, and for the first time ever I have the urge to punch someone in the face._

" _That dark, weird girl? Please, you're way too good for her. I could show you a what real woman is like." She boasts. Then, as if she has no shame, she grabs his hand and forcefully puts it on her breast. I see red._

" _What are you doing?!" He shouts at her._

 _She winks, "Nothing you won't like." She says as she leans in to kiss him. Okay. I've had enough._

 _I step out from behind the doorway, and clear my throat. Both of them freeze, the girls expression seeming annoyed, and Naruto's looking shocked._

" _Hina! It's not what it looks like-"_

" _Oh yes it is," The girl cuts him off, "He's dumping you. You're way weird to be with someone like him. He needs a real woman."_

 _I should be furious. I know she's lying about Naruto dumping me. I should jump on her and knock some sense into her. But I can't._

 _Because she's right._

 _She's right about me. I'm not good enough for him. I always suspected, but today has made it perfectly clear to me. Compared to all these girls, there's no way Naruto will want to stay with me much longer. I lower my head, and tears burn my eyes._

" _No! She's lying!" Naruto shouts as he pushes her away and begins to move towards me, "Hina, please listen-"_

 _I can't. I can't take this. I run._

 _I can vaguely hear his voice calling out to me, calling my name, but I ignore it. I can't deal with this right now. I just keep hearing those ugly words over and over, hearing that girl voicing my inner thoughts. Hearing them confirmed like that shattered my heart._

 _I almost make it to the girl's bathroom on the opposite end of school, the hallway practically deserted. Good, the last thing I need is for someone to see my tears. But before I can make it inside, I feel a grip on my wrist._

" _Let go." I say coldy._

" _No."_

" _Naruto-"_

" _Even if you go in there, I'll follow you. You know I'm not lying." He states and I do know. It sounds like something he would do._

 _I turn to face him, brows furrowed and tears gathering in my eyes. I note the hurt in his blue eyes, looking as if he's about to cry himself._

" _Why are you following me? I'm clearly not good enough for you!"_

 _He flinches at my tone, "Hina-chan, she's crazy. I don't believe that. I don't like her. I only have eyes for you."_

" _Sure, maybe now. But she was right! I'm not good enough. These other girls, they're beautiful, popular, outgoing, confident, and I'm not! You deserve someone like that!" I force out, blinking back tears. I don't want to cry._

 _He frowns at me, "You've got it wrong Hina. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."_

 _I freeze, eyes widening._

 _He takes his hands in mine and smiles softly at me, blue eyes shining, "You're beautiful, loving, patient, kind, caring, nurturing, smart, selfless, strong, I could go on and on. Why in the world would I want to give that up for some random girl? Someone that I… that I don't love."_

 _I gasp and look up into his eyes, pale lilac meeting shimmering blue orbs._

" _What?" I breathe._

" _Hinata… I love you."_

 _I feel my heart slam against my chest, my breathing becoming faster. He loves me? He… feels the same way?_

" _You… love me?"_

 _His cheeks burn a deep crimson as he scratches the back of his head, never losing his smile, "Yeah, I do. I've known it for a while. Maybe, maybe I even knew deep down before we ever even got together. Do you remember right before we got together, how I saw Suigetsu kiss your cheek after you agreed to go on a date with him?" His brows furrow, recalling the unpleasant memory._

 _I nod, although I feel ashamed of it. It's not something I like to remember, yet at the same time it was the push that caused Naruto to confess his feelings._

 _He continued, "Well, whenever I saw that, I don't know, it was like my entire world fell apart. Nothing made sense anymore, nothing was right. It was like everywhere I went, no matter what I did, I felt an unbearable pain in my heart. I felt so hurt, so crushed. The more I think about that, the more I realize exactly why I felt that way. It's the same reason I get jealous when other guys look at you, why I feel all tingly and warm when you look at me, and why I feel like kissing you is the most amazing thing in the entire world. It's because I'm in love with you, Hina-chan."_

 _I place my hand on my chest in vain attempt to calm the trashing of my heart. To hear the depth of Naruto's feelings, to know how he feels…_

" _You don't have to say it back. It's okay if you don't feel the same way…" He says, looking a bit somber. My eyes widen and I feel tears prick my eyes and run down my cheeks. As usual, Naruto panics._

" _Woah! Hinata-chan! I'm sorry! Please don't cry! I'm sorry that I upset you! Please! Don't cry!" He pleads with me, gripping my shoulders tightly._

 _I start laughing, much to his confusion as the tears continue to fall. I begin to wipe them away, only for more to take their place, "It's okay Naru-kun… I'm crying because I'm happy."_

 _Through the blur of tears I can see his smile, "You are?"_

 _I nod, "I-I'm so happy, because I love you too!" I shout throwing my arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. He's surprised at first, but then slowly wraps his strong arms around my waist, and I feel complete._

 _I continue, "I was so afraid… afraid to tell you too. But I've been having these feelings as well. And… and lately I was worried that maybe you didn't feel the same… so when I saw all these girls throwing themselves at you…"_

" _It made you feel like you weren't good enough. You started feeling insecure, right?" He finishes for me. I nod, my face pressed into his chest, "I know just how you feel, Hina. I've felt all of those things before. You're gorgeous, and so many guys want to be with you. I've always been afraid that maybe you would realize one day that… I don't know, that you're way too good for me. That you could do better."_

 _My heart squeezes painfully at his words, and I lift my head up to look into his eyes. In those beautiful cerulean orbs, I'm able to see all of his love pouring out of them, all for me. I giggle, "We're so silly. Neither of us should feel this way. Naruto-kun, I only have eyes for you. You're my one and only."_

 _His blue eyes shimmer, swimming with emotion, "Same here Hina-chan. I love you."_

 _I feel tears coming on again, but I force them back as my chest fills with warmth, "I love you too."_

 _He leans down and captures my lips, pressing them gently against his. Every time he kisses me, I get chills up and down my spine, sparks shooting throughout my entire body. It's like magic._

" _Ugh. Could you too be any more nauseating?"_

 _Naruto immediately breaks the kiss and we turn to see Sasuke staring at us with an eyebrow quirked._

" _Sasuke! What are you doing?!" Naruto shouts._

" _I was looking for you two. I was wondering why you weren't at lunch. There's only fifteen minutes left. If you wanted to skip and go make out, you could have at least told me." He says jokingly._

 _Both of our faces turn beet red as we separate from each other._

" _Th-that's not what we were doing!" Naruto responds angrily, seeming flustered._

" _Sure." Sasuke says sarcastically. We all make our way to the cafeteria, and everything feels okay now. Naruto and I are in love, Sasuke and Naruto are back at it again, and I'm just giggling and enjoying their company. All is right with the world._

 _I don't have to worry that I'm not good enough for Naruto. He doesn't measure my value by my successes like Father does. Naruto loves me for who I am, just like I love him. We only want to be with each other, and now I know it's forever. There's no one else I could ever imagine being with. I know we're only fourteen, but that doesn't matter to me. I know what I feel. There's no doubt that I've found my soulmate._

 _And if any bitch tries to come along and steal my soulmate away again, she's dead._

 _Maybe High School will be fun after all._

* * *

 _As usual, the three of us walk home together, of course after I stop by the Middle School to pick up Hanabi. The four of us walk together, talking, laughing, and Hanabi trying her best to join in. Sasuke breaks off when we get near his house, telling us he'll see us in the morning._

 _Now it's just Naruto, Hanabi, and me. It's been like this since Naruto and I got together. Hanabi and Naruto get along great, not surprising since they're both so outgoing and straightforward. They'll be great siblings when Naruto and I get married._

 _I blush._

 _Marriage…_

 _That's the first time I've ever thought about us getting married. The thought makes me feel fuzzy._

" _Ooh Hinata-chan! You're blushing! What are you thinking about big sister?!" Hanabi suddenly asks me._

 _My blush deepens as I wave my hands back and forth, "N-nothing! Jeez Hanabi-chan!"_

 _Naruto chuckles, "I think you're lying Hina-chan. I can tell." He teases._

" _It's n-nothing! S-shut up!"_

 _They both laugh at my expense until we reach about a block from the Hyuga estate. I sigh, this is where we break off from Naruto. As much as I hate it, I know my father would not approve of him. He's so concerned with who we associate with, and because of Naruto's background, no matter how he behaves now, Father would not like him._

 _Naruto begins to head across the street towards his own home, "Bye Hanabi-chan! Bye Hina-chan! I LOVE YOU!" He shouts the last part at the top of his lungs, making my heart beat frantically, and my face heat up again. Then he runs off._

" _Hinata-chan! I can't believe he shouted that! How cute!" Hanabi squeals._

 _I hold my face, so sure that steam will escape my ears, "I-I know. I love him too. We told each other today."_

" _That's so exciting big sister!"_

 _I laugh and nod in agreement as we make our way to the front door. One of the Hyuga attendants, Ko, is there to greet us._

" _Hello, Lady Hinata, Lady Hanabi. Did you ladies have a nice day at school?" He asks us as he bows._

 _We both smile cheerfully at him, "Yes, Ko-san, thank you!" I reply._

 _He grins, "Lady Hinata, before I forget, your father wishes to speak with you in his study right away."_

 _My smile disappears, and my heart sinks. What does he want to talk about now? How have I disappointed him this time?_

" _Thank you Ko-san. I will go to him now." I say, as we both enter inside our home. Immediately Hanabi runs up to her room, leaving me alone._

 _In many ways, I would rather live in a home like Naruto's. His is so colorful, full of life, with pictures and decorations adorning the walls. Not the Hyuga household. The walls are plain white, just like the cold eyes of those who live here. There are no decorations, save for the few flowers in the garden and the twin ceremonial swords hanging above the doorway of my father's study. I take a deep breath, and enter inside._

 _In the study, I see my father sitting behind his desk as usual, reading a book. His long brown hair lies over his shoulders, similar to Hanabi's. As always, he is wearing his business attire and reading glasses. His cold eyes glance up from the book, noticing my entrance._

" _Ah, Hinata. Welcome home. Come, sit." He beckons me._

 _I gulp and walk up to the chair in front of my father's desk, taking a seat._

" _How was school today, my daughter?" He asks me, no warmth to his tone at all._

 _I meet his gaze nervously, "I-it was great Father. I think my classes are going to go quite well this year."_

 _He takes a sip of his tea, "Very good. That is what I like to hear. Now, to address why I have called you here."_

 _As he says this there is a buzz from his intercom, he presses the button on his desk, "Yes, what is it?"_

 _A female voice on the other end responds, "Mr. Hyuga, Mr. Otsutsuki and his son have arrived."_

 _Otsutsuki? Why does that name sound familiar?_

 _He smiles, which is unusual for him in general. He responds, "Ah, perfect timing. Please send them in to my study."_

 _I quirk an eyebrow, confused as to what's happening. Why are we meeting with the Otsutsukis? I have no idea what's going on._

 _Suddenly, I hear the door open, and I turn my attention to the sound. In come an older man, and younger boy, looking to be close to my age._

 _The older man is wearing a blue pinstripe business suit with a black tie. He is wearing what looks to be a Rolex, and a gold pin on his suit in the shape of a crescent moon. He has pale skin, silver groomed hair and icy blue eyes._

 _Next to him, the younger boy looks very similar to him. He is wearing what looks like a prep school uniform. He's wearing black slacks, dress shoes, a navy blue dress coat, a green tie, and he also wears a moon shaped pin. Like the older man, his skin is pale and his hair is silver, almost white. His hair is a little less groomed. His eyes are also icy blue, but with hints of gold in them too, highly unusual. He smiles at me, and suddenly I feel extremely uncomfortable._

 _My father stands from his chair, and struts over to the older gentlemen, shaking his hand. Sensing that the atmosphere has shifted, I also stand from my seat, and shift my attention to our visitors._

" _Hoshi-san, welcome to my home. I'm glad you both made it today." Father says to the older man, bowing in respect. Following his lead, I do the same._

 _The man smile, "Of course, we were quite eager to come."_

 _Father leads them both towards me, and my heart is pounding violently. What in the world is going on?"_

 _My father fixes his gaze on the boy, then on me, "Hinata, you've heard of Hoshi Otsutsuki, the founder and CEO of Tenseigan Corp, correct?" I nod, "His company and mine do a lot of business together, as you know."_

 _Yes, I know. Why is he here exactly? And his creepy son?_

 _Father gestures to the young man finally, "Hinata, this is Toneri. He is Hoshi's son, and the future CEO of Tenseigan Corp. I'm hoping that you two can… get to know each other." He says with an unusual grin._

 _I meet eyes with Toneri as he extends his hand to me and I take it. Then, shocking me and nearly causing me to scream, he kisses me on the hand._

 _What the heck?!_

 _He smiles at me again, "It's so nice to meet you, Lady Hinata. I look forward to getting to know you better."_

 _I don't. But I won't be rude, especially in front of Father, "Likewise, Toneri-san. It's nice to meet you."_

 _I notice the expression on the faces of my father and Hoshi, and then it hits me like a bus. Fear slams into me, dread seeps into my bones, soaking up my entire being. My level of discomfort has now skyrocketed._

 _Father is setting me up. Toneri is a potential suitor._

 _Oh no. This is bad._

 _If it's possible, this is both the best and worst day of my life, all rolled into one. How am I going to tell Naruto about this?_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note!**_

 **Again, I'm sorry for taking a while with the update. I'm gonna level with you guys, I'M EXHAUSTED! Literally working double the hours per week is no fun. Bleh.**

 **ANYWAY, so yeah, the updates will take longer now, but I really enjoy writing so I'm not going to stop. I'll continue this story and** _ **What's Best For Everyone.**_ **I hope to have that story updated next week. We'll see!**

 **Thank you guys for being patient, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter will include some SasuSaku fluff! :) I know some of you really want to see that.**

 **See you next chapter!**


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